


Willow

by LilyPandora



Category: Trolls (Movies 2016 2020), Trolls: The Beat Goes On (Cartoon), Trolls: TrollsTopia (Cartoon)
Genre: AH YES, Action/Adventure, Drama, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, Gen, I hope you are ready to cry, I like to take happy songs and turn them into hell, Im going to keep the innocent way of the franchise, Love, M/M, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Rossiepuff almost burned down a pod, Rowan only knows ugly names, Willow had a lot of patience, You are going to cry, because you are, it's the bromance for me, musical moment out of nowhere, rossiepuff hit peppy with a twig, that woman was rad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:08:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 42,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28644234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyPandora/pseuds/LilyPandora
Summary: This story takes place a few months after the world tour events.A crucial part of Branch's past returns to his present, bringing to light secrets from the days  back in the troll tree, wrapping the group in an unexpected new adventure in which they will have to deal with their problems of the present and overcome the unhealed wounds from the past.
Relationships: Branch/Queen Poppy (Trolls), King Peppy (Trolls)/Original Character(s), original - Relationship
Comments: 24
Kudos: 29





	1. Everything got in the way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This is my first troll fanfic, this first chapter is like a long introduction to story (actually much longer than I thought it was going to be)  
> I don't know how many chapters this story is going to take me, but I update you that I really like to write so updates will be pretty close to each other
> 
> English is not my first language so let me know in the comments if there are any vocabulary flaws.

The view was filled by a scrapbook showing the troll tree with its cage around as it was years ago. 

A male voice we all know was telling a story that the scrapbook followed with the cropped scenes. 

"Once upon a time, many years ago, back in the troll tree, there was a time when the tunnels the trolls used to escape hadn't been built,back when they hadn't even had the idea of building them in the first place. The pop trolls were scared and until they came up with a way of escaping they needed to protect themselves in some way"

He turned the page. 

The scrapbook showed a lot of trolls around a table discussing, hidden from the Bergens among the leaves, it looked as if it was the top of the tree trunk

"That's when a young troll came up with an idea, and immediately went to tell the queen at the time, Pippi, King Peppy's mother" 

The page showed a troll entering the scene quickly going to "talk" to the cropped figure of a troll with fuxia hair and a green crown. 

"She had the idea of creating a group of defenders, who would have the job of protecting the young trollings and families who lived there back then, that will give more time to the royals and the smartest trolls of the tree to work in a way of scaping, while the defenders protected the people from the hands of the Bergens"

The troll on the page had a stick in her hand like a sword and moved it as if she was fighting with the air. 

"Queen Pippi thought it was a good idea, but the trolls didn't know how to fight or defend themselves, it wasn't the troll way to do things, how could they make it happen?And that's when the young girl offered to do it, she knew how to fight, and she would teach the best-endowed trolls for it"

He passed the scrapbook page, and it showed the same cropped figure of the troll, surrounded by other silhouettes between the branches of the troll tree, everyone had a long stick in their hands, and she was teaching them how to fight. 

"She taught trolls to fight for years and together they defended as many people as they could during many trollstices. But what that troll didn't know was that she was going to find her other half among the team she was leading" 

It showed two trolls smiling, holding hands in the middle of a heart that occupied the two front pages, the heart was located in what looked like the treetop. 

"They were said to be the best fighters in the whole tree, people called them "the defenders". Thanks to those two, the pop trolls managed to get to the idea of the tunnels, and approximately 5 years later the troll population managed to escape from BergenTown, thanks to the great leadership of king Peppy, but, unfortunately during the previous trollstices the two warriors disappeared in battle, and never again became known about them" 

He closed the book

The moment he closed it, a lot of protests began to be heard with little groans from the voices of small Trollings. 

"And that's it?" 

"What happens next?" 

A lot of Trollings sitting on a carpet around Branch, looked at him with wide eyes and even small pouts demanding him to tell them more about the story of the scrapbook. 

Branch scratched the back of his neck while smirking to the little trolls, sorry for not having much more to tell them. He explained that the book ended there,with the story, there was nothing more he could tell them. "

But what happened to them? Who were those trolls?" asked a little girl with violet hair and garnet skin. 

"Well, this is a fairy tale from the times of the troll tree…"He was a little nervous with so many eyes on him, but his nerves didn't stop him from smirking to the trollings in the class" sorry but I never knew what happened to them, I don't think it even has a second part" He saw the children faced with a little of disapproval, which made him react immediately to encourage them "But-" everyone looked at him "I think that's the good thing about this story" they started looking at him with puzzled faces "The good part about the book not explaining an ending specifically, is that it let's you imagine a new one" The children's face changed to a more positive one, "It's what I used to do when I read it back when i was you age" the children seemed to be convinced by what Branch said, and it made him feel relieved. 

"You were also a trolling Mr. Branch?"

The same girl asked him, he let out a giggle and lifted up the girl who was sitting on the floor and sat her on his leg "Yes, I was a trolling too Pansy, I'm old but not _that_ old" Another trolling approached his other leg and grabbed it and asked "Can you read us another story Mr. Branch?"

The trolling said looking up as he tried to move Branch's leg. "I'm sorry, little berry, but the story time is over, _aaaaand_ today you have to take the nap before lunchtime, because it's ' _Family day_ ' , and you have to be rested for all the things you're going to do today" He said leaving Pansy on the carpet again and putting the book in his hair. The kids were starting to talk to each other about all the fun things they were going to do today. 

Branch meanwhile came out of the pod and started walking along the tree branch as he pulled out a list of her hair and crossed out a thing written on it "story time for the trollings today, check"

He was humming a song as he walked down the branch,he was really glad that the kids liked the story, after all, Poppy had trusted him to replace her today as she was too busy with her duties as queen to take over. 

Things with Poppy have gone very well lately, they can't spend as much time together as they would like, but they're both busy with their duties as queen and second-in-command. 

He was walking away from the village leaving the noises of the people behind to go on his way to his bunker, which despite the village being considerably enlarged, was still quite far away. As he walked he turned his back and saw troll village with a happy grimace on his face, just over a year ago he would have walked away growling annoyed by the noise of the people in the center of the village, and the fact that he now saw it as his home made him even happier at that moment. 

Even been 'family day' in the pop tribe, a celebration that was not his favorite for obvious reasons, his smile did not go off his face, as he was going to meet his queen in less than an hour in his bunker, and that was always a better reason to smile than any other to not do it. 

\----------------------------------------------

A little later, he was in the kitchen of his underground home, looking among small jars on the shelves trying to decide what to do for lunch, at the moment he heard the elevator of his house he did not have to turn as he could perfectly recognize the pink voice going down the elevator humming a very catchy song. 

"Morning Poppyfer" he said to just after turning around and meet an energetic Poppy going towards him to hug him so suddenly that he almost dropped the jars,

"Morning Branchifer!" She separated the hug and sat on his table and began swinging her legs energically to start talking

"OMG! I've got so much to tell you. okay, first of all, I was talking to the leaders about how to establish a way to communicate all the territories faster, don't get me wrong, I love Sheila, but it's too slow and too small a transport to go back and forth between territories, so I had the idea to use CATERBUSES! , they're fast, they have a lot of space, and everyone loved the idea, well except Delta, who couldn't come to the meeting, said she was having a problem at Lonesome Flats with an outsider, but she said it was a minor problem, easy to solve so I'll tell her at the next meeting,that I guess she will come and-!" she was talking so fast that Branch could barely understand everything she said

"Wowowo Poppy calm down! as much as I love your enthusiasm if you talk so fast I can barely understand you" He said grabbing her by the shoulders to have her attention, at that moment she stared into his eyes and gave him a quick kiss on him lips which caused him to stay like a statue and his cheeks started turning purple. 

"And thank _you_ so much for taking over today's reading to the trollings" she said coming down from the table to walk through the kitchen "I crossed Pansy's mother, Moxie, said that the kids had loved the story, and that they would like you to go again" That caused a smile with some surprise on his partner's face "Maybe you can go with me next time" she said drawing circles with her foot on the ground with her hands behind her back giving him a flirty look to which he let out a giggle and hug her to leave a kiss on her forehead while saying "anytime Poppy" He said just to turn back to the kitchen table, this time picking three jars and returning the rest to the shelf as they spoke. 

Poppy kept walking a little further away from the entrance to the kitchen which had no door, and saw the scrapbook on the table. She had never seen that cover, even in the village library and there were all the scrapbooks, sure, she knew her partner was someone a lil mysterious but that scrapbook was calling especially her attention. She grabbed it and began inspecting the cover that was green felt and had the silhouette of two trolls holding hands on the cover, their silhouette was in a slightly darker green than the rest of the cover so that it differed better, the title was in the same dark green as the silhouettes

"The two defenders" she read at loud, Branch, hearing her say the name, turned to look at her "It's one of the few scrapbooks that I know by heart" apart from the security guides obviously he added, going to her with some cooking utensils in his hands. 

Poppy opened it to look at it quickly without looking too closely at each page, just to look at him again with a confused face, "I've never seen this scrapbook, where did you get it?" she said, sitting at the table this time in the living room, looking at it a little more carefully. Branch, while she looked at the book began to make a mixture in a bowl for his lunch, he had to cook while they spoke as with all the tasks they had there was no time for pauses. 

"You can borrow it if you want, it doesn't matter, it's a very nice story to be honest" 

He said mixing in his bowl "Although I would sincerely like to know who the author is, the end is a little too open, and as far as I know there's no second part, so you never know what happened" Faced with that claim Poppy frowned, it was not usual in a scrapbook to have such a serious plot, or the fact that it was practically without end! In what world do we live in that people made scrapbooks with open endings!? 

She turned it over to look at the back cover and saw two embroidered letters, a W and a R. Maybe it was some clue about the author's name, but she didn't know any troll with those initials, not old enough to have made that scrapbook that's for sure. 

"Thanks Branch" She smirked at him putting the book in her hair. Then there was a silence which Poppy broke with a question which made Branch react at exact moment "Can I ask you one quest-" "Noup" 

She frowned and crossed her arms "You don't even know what I was going to ask!" She said in a loud voice raising her arms in frustration on her sides, sometimes he could be really frustrating.

"Come on Poppy, it's family day and I know you well enough to know what follows that ' _one question'_ " He said glancing at her with a smile as he left the bowl at the table next to her, "Besides, you have to go to the twins pod to get your new dress to go eat with your father if I'm not mistaken"

She pout and looked the other way with her arms crossed "Poppy I love that you come to see me in your free time, but this one is very limited especially now" he said leaning so that his face would be at the same height as hers, because she was still sitting at the living room table, then he kissed her forehead which caused her to smile. But after a few seconds she got up and looked at him again with disapproval 

"What?" glancing at her confused "Come on! just a little question, a teeny-weenie question!" She insisted when he was already walking towards the elevator, "I'm curious..." murmured looking at him drawing circles on the ground with her foot again. The image he was seeing was too adorable for him "Arg Poppy pleaaaase, don't go with that feet thing with me!" He cried in frustration, that kind of cute behaving in her softened him too much to say 'no' to her.

"Pleaseeee?" she said putting herself in front of him with puppy eyes, oh no, the puppy eyes, not the puppy eyes, okay he was too weak. 

"Okay okay! but please stop or I'm going to hug you for too much time, and you are going to be late to get to the twins pod and for lunchtime" the teal-colored troll said as he tried to pull her away and cover his eyes, he really couldn't resist. "Yes!" she jumped with excitement, because Branch letting her ask about something private was a situation that happened very rarely. Okay, what could she ask? There were a lot of things that filled her with curiosity and even though after the world tour they started dating the teal troll was still quite mysterious about his past, she scratched her chin while thinking "Hum… That's it! huh- can I ask you ... your mother's… name?" the last words she said were with a high pitched voice, "Poppy…" He said frowning with a growl. 

She insisted that he had allowed her to ask her a question and that was her question. The other troll growled again with his hand on his face and then he lowed his hand and saw his hug watch just to open his eyes wide because she was going to be late.

"Okay, you're going to be _so_ late and I don't want the twins to tease me for entertaining you" He said by grabbing her by the wrist and taking her to the elevator platform, he was going to hit the lever that was on the ground for Poppy to go up on the elevator alone, but at the same moment she interrupted him "Ahem… my question, Branch you're not going to get me away without answering me" And he knew well that she was right, that girl can be very stubborn.

Then he sighed leaning on the lever "RoseWillow" he pulled the lever and the elevator began to rise before the pink troll squealed with excitement "OMG Branch! That's the prettiest name I've ever heard!-" she said crouching on her knees to see him before the elevator went up enough not to see the lowest floor where Branch was standing "Bye Poppy" he said with a slightly forced smile that the pink troll noticed before she couldn't see him anymore. 

What was that? she had seen strange expressions in him, especially when he tried to smile before creating the trollsday with the bergens, but that grimace eas different, even though his mouth was happy, his eyes were... Sad?

That had Poppy very confused as she walked out the elevator in the direction of the village. The question had bothered him? Did she upset him by asking? Branch never used to get upset with Poppy for something she told him, or at least that's what the pop queen thought. 

\---------------------------

She was on the twins pod leaning on the wall, the sisters were looking inside a huge closet and clothes were flying out behind them, the two were arguing about where they had put the dress and about whose one was the fault but their argument was cut off by the voice of the pink troll. 

"I think I've upset Branch" she said looking at the floor frowning, the twins didn't even take their heads out of the closet and laughed a little "Poppy nothing you said to that troll could bother him" said Satin's voice. "Well… I asked him about his family and-" that made the blue twin react "Except for _that_ , why in the world did you ask him about _that_?" said Chenille who had stopped looking in the closet to stare with a puzzled face at the queen, Poppy opened her mouth to talk but before any words came out of her mouth she was interrupted by Satin to indicate that she had already found the dress by pulling it out of the closet. 

"I don't know... it's 'family day' and he never lets me ask him anything about his past and I got curious" The twins looked at her frowning, her friend was really distraught "But it was strange, because he was smiling but not at the same time, you know? it was a very strange grimace"

When she said that the twins looked at each other with some discomfort "Huh… that grimace you say, was he moving his ears down with a frown staring at you, and his smile trembled?" Satin said trying to replicate what she said on her own face

"YES, EXACTLY THAT FACE, wait- how do you know that I meant that particular face?" she asked staring at them with a puzzled stare. 

"That's the 'atempted smile'" Chenille replied, the queen didn't understand anything and she raised an eyebrow saying "I'm sorry, the- what?" 

The twins turned to exchanging glances with nervous smiles to look at their friend again "The 'attempt smile' is the name that the Snack Pack put on that grimace he makes" said Satin passing the dress to Poppy "have you really never noticed?". 

"huh-No? This isn't the first time?" said bewildered looking at the twins who in response were a little uncomfortable

"We have a name for that grimace because he've done it like a million times" said the periwinkle twin 

Poppy's mouth was open in surprise wanting to say something but not knowing what, "Sorry, we thought you'd already noticed" Satin said scratching the back of her neck, the queen managed to get to the words to ask "But - Why does he make that face?" Faced with that question the twins looked at each other with low desire to answer

"It's the face he puts on when… he _tries_ to smile, when he doesn't really _want_ to do it, like he's trying to make it look okay when he's not" The queen's jaw fell "And… he only does it with _you_ " concluded Chenille with a high pitched voice not wanting to say it. 

The poppy's mouth didn't close, and she began to wonder in her mind ' _so for all this time there were a lot of times when he pretended to be okay, for me?, and I never noticed?! Gosh Does that means that I'm a terrible girlfriend?! I mean, we haven't made it totally official yet but I'm kind of like his girlfriend right?!, my god how many times he would have told me it was okay, for me not to worry?! OH MY GOD AND IF IT TURNS GRAY AGAIN BECAUSE IN REALITY IS DEPRESSED AND HE DIDN'T WANT TO TELL ME?!'_

She was thinking all of that but as she did it the twins were watching her freak out in silence, it looked like she was arguing with the air. 

"Huh Poppy, we didn't want to worry you, we're sure he's okay, surely he wouldn't want to worry you either, you don't have to freak out about it, it's not a big deal" said Chenille approaching her by putting a hand on her shoulder, calming her down. 

"You're right, I have to make it up to him!" She said suddenly with a determined grimace in her face, "What? I didn't say that-" Chenille answered even though she knew there was nothing to do anymore, as soon as something got into Poppy's head there was no one to stop her from doing it. "I should go talk to him, What can i do? what can I do-" She said scratching her chin while murmuring 

"Poppy!" The periwinkle twin exclaimed to get her attention and she gave her sister the turn of speech "It's not a big deal, and you can't go talk to him, it's 'family day' and you have to go eat with your father remember?" Faced with what the pale pink troll said, Poppy reacted alarmed looking at her hug watch "Oh my God, I'm going to be late for lunch!" she said going to the door of the pod "Thanks for the dress and the advice girls! I owe you one!" She quealed jumping out of the door running down the limb of the troll tree, the twins stared at each other.

"What advice, What did we say?" Satin asked his sister, "Gosh" Chenille made a facepalm "Branch is going to kill us both". 

\-------------------------------

The pop queen was walking lightly along the branches of the troll tree on her way to her pod as she tried to organize her day in her mind. 

_'Okay, first of all I have to go change to my pod, after that go to lunch with my father to celebrate 'family day', having spent 2 hug times with him I'll get on my way to the bunker, oh geez I forgot that I have to go help Mandy give the new hug watches among the new visitors from the other territories'_

she went to her pod and went inside while still organizing in her head 

_'Okay, after helping Mandy, I'm going to the bunker, Oh! but i promised Cooper to have dinner with his family and so, get to know the funk kings better, Okay, my dad, Mandy, dinner with the funk trolls and then the bunker'_

she stood behind her closet door and began to change her clothes. 

_'Arg! but Branch after dinner has to go help the techno trolls with the lighting of their lake near the village, Sugar!'_

she came out from behind her closet door with the new dress that had been made to her by the twins, the dress was plain aquamarin color with a large dark blue bow on the back wrapping her waist.

And she went to her mirror to begin brushing her mane. 

_'Hum... maybe I can find time between Mandy and dinner, yes! that's what I'm going to do! I'm going to go have lunch with my dad, then I'm going to go help Mandy with the hug watches, then I'm going to go to the bunker and then I'll have dinner with the funk royals.'_

She thought, finishing combing her hair. 

\----------------------------

After a while, she was having lunch with her dad. He was standing up in his chair telling her a lot of stories from his youth days when she was still a prince and lived in the troll tree, stories that Poppy always attended to with great interest, but today she seemed a little distracted which did not go unnoticed in the eyes of her father who knew her better than anyone. 

"Poppy sweetheart, is something wrong?" 

Her father's question suddenly snapped her out of her thoughts to look at him "Problems in paradise maybe?" His father's gaze make her realize that he knew what was she thinking about, which caused her to look at him with wide eyes in surprise

"How did you-" She muttered, which made his father giggle "Oh dear, your old man knows that grimace you have very well" he sat down again "Has something bad happened? an argument maybe?" the pink troll shook her head and searched in her mind for the words to explain to her father what was bothering her

"You know… Branch is pretty cautious as to open up about how he feels" She rested her head on her hand "I'm afraid to upset him or hurt his feelings and that he won't tell me for me not to worry… sometimes he can be very complicated" said frowning and his father let out a giggle

"Branch is not complicated honey" The moment he said that Poppy's face changed to one where you could read _Really?_ "Okay, he's complicated, but not in this case, what's complicated here is love"

Her face began to blush, she had never stopped to think what her father though about her relationship with a certain troll. 

"You'll see princess, love is one of the most important and valuable things for trolls, but it's a very fragile and strong power at the same time, that makes it complicated" 

Let's be honest, she wasn't understanding **anything** her father was saying, and her face showed it. Her father realized that she wasn't understanding him and sighed "love is a power born of two hearts that harmonize together, the two need each other, when one lacks something the other provides it, complementing each other"

Poppy made a face of realizing "he has difficulty opening up, so you must help him in doing it, And he'll help you when you need him, do you understand what I mean?" The pink troll nodded with a smile "Thank you Dad, I really needed that" Her father smirked and said "Young love is hard sometimes but it's really worth it" He said drinking from his tea "Besides" he added "you both remind me of a couple of young trolls I met a long time ago" 

Poppy was about to ask his father about what he had just said, but their hug watches let a _ting_ sound which made her realize that if she didn't hurry she would be late to help Mandy. So she hurriedly hugged her father, and in the same moment she headed for the door

"Goodbye Dad, love you!" she jumped out of the door "Love you princess" answered his father as his daughter ran back down the tree limb. 

\----------------------

Her day was fully organized or at least she thought.

After helping Mandy spread the hug watches among the new visitors which took her a lot longer than she though it will be. As soon as Poppy was done she ran with intentions of crossing the village to go to the fear bunker , but what the pink troll didn't count on is that a lot of trolls would stop her for her help, and she was happy to help, but a lot of things to do were coming up and all the time between helping Mandy and dinner was consumed. 

The meeting with the funk leaders was as fun as it was long, they laughed a lot and shared conversations about the styles of music of their tribes and how they could bring their people closer together, after eating, they celebrated it with a small private party which left Poppy exhausted. 

She went to her pod, tired, of all the dancing, singing and all the queen tasks she did today. 

_'Okay, I haven't had time for anything other than queen duties, and he's helping techno trolls… maybe I can go help them too-'_

A phone that didn't combine with the aesthetics of her room began to ring.

It was a black telephone that she had adorned with stickers, Barb had given one to each of the leaders so that they could communicate faster than a letter. 

Poppy picked up the phone while she undone her ponytail, "Hello, Poppy queen of the Pop tribe, who am I talking to?" Then the voice that came out on the phone was familiar to her "Poppy?" said a woman's voice

"Delta Dawn! I missed you at today's meeting, we agreed that caterbuses were the best option for transportation, I was going to call you to tell you, but I was very busy" Then Delta interrupted her talking "I know about the caterbuses, Queen Barb explained it to me by phone and I totally agree with them being the main transport" The pop queen heard that and jumped with joy and all Delta could hear was a squeal though the phone "But wait-" She stopped celebrating "Then why did you call me?" the pink troll said leaning on the table where the base of the phone was, she was really tired to keep jumping. "Huh- do ya' remember I couldn't go to the meeting because we were having a problem with an outsider here at Lonesome Flats?" 

"Uh yeah, has something else happened?" Poppy asked not understanding why the countrie leader had called her. 

"Kay' uh- someone had spotted him on the outskirts of town, At first I thought it was going to be a troll of the lil tribes of the music subgeners, but when we found him he didn't look of any particular genre, he was hurt and in quite bad condition as if he had been wanderin' around for a long time… He seemed harmless so we helped him. Then I realized that he was wearin' one of those flower watches of yours, I think it's a Pop troll" He said on the phone with doubt. 

"What?! is he okay?!" Poppy shouted through the phone. "Yes, _now_ he is, but he refuses to answer anythin' we ask him, maybe we should send him to the pop village"

Poppy who was about to fall asleep on her feet reacted "OH YES YES, I'll send a caterbus over there right now! It should be back tomorrow after the first hug time" She said as she took off her crown, "Thanks Queen Poppy, I'll see y'all at the next meetin'" both trolls hung up the phone. 

Poppy opened her bedside table drawer and pulled out a page of paper and wrote on it 'to Lonesome Flats', then peeked out of her window and with two fingers in her mouth she whistled and a little luminous beetle flew towards her window, she petted him and gave him the rolled-up page which the beetle grabbed and, then she whispered "Give it to one of the caterbus," as soon as she said that, the beetle flew out of her window.

The tired queen yawned and threw herself into the bed exhausted, then she fell asleep forgetting to put on her pajamas and what she was going to do before the call. 

\--------------------

The next day, Poppy was awakened by the sound of the morning song, wait, the morning song? 

"What- " she said rubbing her eyes as she sat on her bed, She had fallen asleep and missed the morning song, she growled realizing it, then as she got up and put on her crown still tired she looked at her hug watch just to see that there was barely time before the first hug time of the day.

"Gosh, have I slept that much?" Then she noticed something in her scrambled hair "What the-" She took out the book Branch had len her "huh Branch's book" she stood up still, not realizing the situation, 

it took her a while, okay? 

"OH- BRANCH, Sugar! I forgot!" She ran out of her pod, yesterday she was so tired that she completely forgot that she had to talk with the teal troll. 

She ran through the village, as it was in the morning not all the trolls were out of their homes and that made that, luckily, no one stop stopped her to ask for help on something. 

She reached the entrance of the bunker and went down the elevator calling her partner while heading to the lowest floor. 

"Branch! Braaaaanch!" But no one answered her. Then she got out the elevator and went to the living room calling him, but she stopped screaming at the moment she saw the teal troll on the sofa asleep in a sitting position there were a lot of blueprints on the table in front of the couch, they appeared to be structure designs for the lake lighting he was helping with the night before. 

She didn't want to wake him up, but the moment she took a step back, the little sound of her foot touching the ground was enough, "HUH? WHA-what, Poppy?" he woke up alarmed. 

" _Seriously_? you don't wake up with me shouting your name from the entrance of the bunker but you do with the sound of a step?" she said looking at him. 

"Actually, I think my head is learning to block your morning squeals" Joked just before yawning and getting up off the couch, and then, at that moment she remembered why she wanted to go talk to him in the first place, she ran towards him and hugged him almost pulling him to the ground," Wo-WO!...It's everything alright?" 

He said hugging her back, "Thank you for helping the techno trolls yesterday" she muttered with her head hidden under his chin. 

" _Okay_ , obviously everything's not okay, what happened?" He said separating the hug to look at her in the eyes. 

"Why do you think something happened?" She asked watching him going to his kitchen, and while he was serving a cup of coffee he answered

"Uh, you've run into my bunker, apparently shouting my name, which would be a normal thing, but your hair seems to have lost a battle against a bush and you're wearing the crown backwards" She looked up and noticed it. Placing her crown right, he drank from his coffee and kissed her cheek as he passed by her side to head to the living room table making her blush

"Tell me what the emergency is while I pick up all this" Said stacking the blueprints in a pile.

"What?- No branch! there is no emergency! ... I just… wanted to talk to you" said frustrated and the other troll looked at her confused "Okay… just chat? or you want to talk to me about something specific"

He said finishing picking up and leaning on the table drinking from his coffee. The pink troll couldn't find the words to explain all the talk she had with the twins and her dad and how she wanted to go talk to him but in the end she didn't have the time for it, it was too many things so she just knew how to say "I'm sorry…" she frowned which caused the other troll to look at her with wide eyes in surprise

"Okay, You broke something, what was it?" The pink troll was a little indignant of what he just said, _Did he really thought she was there looking for help?_

"Huh? No! I didn't break anything!" 

"Omg you broke **someone**?! 

" What?! No! Branch, stop assuming I'm here just because I need your help on something"

"But that's the only reason you've come here in the last few months!" 

When she heard that her face quickly change from a frustrated one to a confused one "...What?" She muttered. 

He was right, since the world tour she had only gone to see him for chores or to thank him for doing them. 

The male troll's face contracted when he realized what he had said "I'm sorry Pops, that was a rude" he scratched the back of his neck."you've been busy with all your queen duties and all the stuff from the other territories and-" he was apologizing but she interrupted him "No, you're right, that's the only reason we've seen each other in the last few months! and.. I've been so distracted with my queen duties that I didn't even notice"

Once she realized it, she began to feel even worse than after the chat with the twins yesterday, and it showed on her face that now had a sad grimace. 

"Hey, it doesn't matter okay? I shouldn't have said that" He said approaching her, and grabbed her by the shoulders giving her a smile "No it's not okay!" She pulled his arms off her shoulders "That's why I wanted to talk to you, you keep saying that everything is fine and that you are okay, when you really are not!" 

"Wha-" 

Then she began to explain everything super fast, barely understanding what she was saying

"Okay so, when I asked you about your mother's name, and you answered me, but, even though you were _smiling_ , you were _sad_! so I asked the twins for advice, and they told me you'd been doing it for a long time so I wanted to come talk to you, but then lunch with my _father_!, and all of a sudden I was late to _help mandy_! , and I was going to come and talk to you, but a lot of people needed my help for _I don't know what things_! and I run out of time and then I had dinner with the funk royals and-"

"Wo wo wo Poppy! POPPY!" He raised his voice to get her attention "If you talk that fast I don't understand you and what do you say about smiling but being sad and they have the twins to do with all this?"

Right now they didn't know which one of them sounded more hysterical. 

Poppy sighed "yesterday when I asked you your mother's name you were smiling but you looked sad... I'm sorry if it made you feel bad, I was just curious and I'm sorry if I haven't had time for you and-" 

Her voice began to tremble and she had a harder time vocalizing, which broke Branch's heart, which was standing in front of her still trying to understand everything she had told him. 

Branch, seeing that she was getting more distressed as she spoke, did not think twice and hugged her "Hey… everything's okay, don't worry okay? nothing you said could ever bother me, and I understand you don't have much time, you've been doing an excellent job as queen"

He had his chin over her head and began to comb her hair with, his hands seeing that what he was saying didn't work he added "I admit that my family is not my favorite topic of conversation, but I understand you want to know about them" He kissed her forehead, "If all that upsets you that much, next time I'll be totally honest with you okay?, even if it hurts?" 

She nodded, knowing that it wasn't true, he was very quiet about his feelings and it was going to take them a long time to work on it, for him to open up. 

They were still hugging, and when Poppy opened her mouth to say something, the words didn't come out, because Branch cut her before with a hiss. 

"But Branch-" 

" _Shhhhh_ …" 

"But-" 

"SSSSSH SHSHSH" 

She separated the hug, to look at him without understanding why he was telling her to shut up. He was looking up, moving his ears sideways, he was the only troll she knew capable of doing that with his ears. 

"What's wrong?" she muttered

"I hear something in the village, something fast, very fast" His left ear kept moving, he really could hear what was happening in the village. "It's the caterbus, it came from LonesomeFlats" She muttered explaining it to him, but the grimace in his face did not change "And why the hair do I hear so many steps, it's as if half of the village is moving to the same point" he told the queen frowning, "Are you sure?" she said no longer muttering "One hundred percent" 

She pointed at the elevator and he nodded, he took off his robe letting him see that he wore his usual clothes underneath.

"Are you wearing your normal clothes under your robe? _have you ever heard about pajamas_?! 

"Sorry I was tired!"

They both went up and headed towards the village. Despite the events of the world tour and all visitors from the other tribes, the village was being quite pacific, for the time there had been no serious problem between the different types of trolls, therefore, both the queen and her second-in-command feared that this "tranquility" would break, because of what was about to happen. 

\------------------------------

The two went to the part of the village were the catter bus parked, there were a lot of people surrounding a space in the center that was impossible to see from outside the circle, Poppy made her way through the trolls that started stepping aside as she passed with Branch in her tail. 

"What the _hair_ is happening here?" The teal troll said, waiting for a response from the people, who were now around them. 

Then the couple realized that people were not looking at them, but at what they had behind, both turned and were stunned to see what was in front of them, or rather, whom. 

In front of them was an older troll, younger than Peppy but you could see a gray tuft in his dark viridian-green hair who was accompanied by a goatee of the same color, his skin was light sky blue and his nose dark blue. He was wearing clothes that looked handmade, with a cape made of leaves that covered his entire back. 

Poppy was surprised by the stranger's appearance, he sure looked like a poptroll but he also looked as if he had just come out of a _cave_.

"Excuse me, sir? you are the troll Delta found outside Lonesome Flats aren't you?"

The pop queen asked him with a warm smile but the other troll said nothing and nodded for response. The old troll was staring at his sides constantly, maybe having all his eyes on him was too overwhelming, she didn't know who this troll was, but there was something about him that baffled Poppy.

"Are you all right, sir?" said trying to get near him but before she did he looked at her, he almost seemed frightened? "What territory is this? What musical genre do you belong to?" His voice was deep and a little raspy,

"We are the pop tribe I'm-" She said with one hand on her chest about introduce herself but was interrupted by the light blue troll who let out a little weak laugh "I don't think that's possible, because the pop troll population became _extinct_ more than 20 years ago being devoured" 

By hearing that, a shiver ran through the spine of the queen and her partner who stood right near behind her. The grimace of the oldest troll was contracted, as if it was hurting the simple act of saying it, whoever that guy was, he needed to catch up seriously.

"What -- no, they didn't devour us, we escaped from the troll tree through the tunnels" The moment the pink troll said the last words, the face of the light blue-skinned troll was stunned and looked at the girl with wide eyes "W-what but tha-that can't be true!" he muttered and looked at the people around him, it really was the troll village that he believed no longer existed for years, he couldn't believe it, his jaw fell looking at everyone, the surprise of the troll who looked in poor condition put a smile on the queen's mouth. 

The troll was stunned, "Wait!" then his face changed to a realizing one, as if he had just noticed something in his mind , then he approached Poppy quickly "Where's King Peppy, is he here?!" he said pretty desperate, grabbing Poppy by the shoulders and what the stranger said later made Branch react "Is RoseWillow here?! A RosiePuff maybe?!" The moment he said that, a teal arm got in the way of him and Poppy, separating them. Branch stood in front of Poppy looking at the light blue Troll with a menacing glance. 

At the moment Branch stood in front of him with that attitude, the other Troll raised his fists in front of his face showing that he was prepared to fight if necessary. 

Seeing that the anonymous man was in attack position, the trolls contemplating the scene, gasped in surprise, that kind of behavior was not typical of a Pop troll, a Rock one? maybe, but a _Pop troll acting like that?_ noup. 

"How do you know those names?!" 

Branch exclaimed in a very hostile way, he was really upset. 

The other roll ignored his question and insisted that where King Peppy was. Then Poppy, who was still behind Branch contemplating the scene, noticed the stranger's gaze, he didn't wanted to fight.

Poppy put an arm in front of Branch to stop him, and looked at him nodding, to which in response he calmed down and nodded too, but he still didn't take his eye off the stranger. 

"Peppy is no longer the king, he is retired, I am the current queen, my name is Poppy" she said raising her palms from her hands to calm him down "And I need you to calm down a little bit, we're not going to hurt you"

As soon as the pink troll said that the adult relaxed, but he looked at Branch raising an eyebrow. 

"Don't mind him, he's not going to attack you either, he just got upset because of what you as-" Her explanation was interrupted by her second-in-command who step forward "Who are you? and I mean your name" said in a firm voice

"Of course, my name is-" 

"Rowan…?" Another voice said, they all turned to see where that voice came from, it was from the former king Peppy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you liked this chapter, I'm already writing the next chapter, where we'll learn a little more about the story behind Branch's Scrapbook


	2. Welding goggles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's chapter two, we're going to know a little more about Rowan's life and the history of the Troll Tree. 
> 
> Remember that when I put a dialogue 'like this' and in italic letters means it's a thought
> 
> I've had a great time writing this chapter, I hope you like it
> 
> (Remember that English is not my first language, so I would be very grateful if you would notify me in the comments of any misspellings)

There were a lot of trolls separated by rows, they all had a long, sharp stick in their hands as a spear. 

They were surrounding a girl troll who had the same kind of spear in her hands while making moves with it. 

"And then you turn it and stick it in their hand!" She exclaimed by nailing the spear into the air as if she was hitting through something with it. 

The trolls around her attended to what she said and copied her movements. 

"And never forget, do not use your hair under **any circumstances** , although it is our best defense, it is also our weak point, if a bergen grabs you by the hair there is no escape" She said leaning on the spear with a finger in front of her face, she was teaching them a class of defense "This is everything for today, tomorrow we'll continue with the trainning, there's only one week left until the next trollstice" 

All the trolls dispersed with faces of exhaustion and yawning, they had been training for many hours and their coach didn't seem to be a fan of taking breaks. 

One of the trolls who had attended class did not leave, and was staring at his coach who was picking up her stuff and putting on her head a round welding goggles.

This sky blue-skinned troll armed himself with courage, took a deep breath and approached her as he repeated himself 

_'come you can do it, don't hesitate, go go!'_

As soon as he realized, he was too close to the girl to take it back. 

"Huh… Willow?" He said scratching the back of his neck not making eye contact with the seafoam green-skinned girl. 

The girl saw how the troll in front of her looked sideways nervously while murmured syllables that didn't make any sense. 

"Rowan? everything okay? can I help you with something?" She said raising an eyebrow. 

"I-I-I- huh- I- you- uh- I" 

He was a mess.

"Oh my god, are you having an stroke?!, Do I need to call Dr.MoonBloom?!"

"What? no- I!" He sighed

"I just wanted to ask you i-if you wanted to... go for a-a ride on the branches before heading home" he said the last words them high pitched voice he still didn't dare to look at her in the eye and he was blushing roo much "I mean If you want! of course! I wouldn't want to put you in an awkward situation, I'm sure you're too busy and-" 

"Actually…" she interrupted him "It's pretty late, I don't think I _should_ " She said with a compassionate grimace. 

"Oh uh- Okay! okay! I understand! totally! maybe next time? hehe…" He gave her the gun fingers, he was a freaking disaster. 

She left with her backpack hanging behind her back, while he was still in the same spot standing like a statue, and by the time she jumped to another tree branch further down, he snapped out of his position. 

"GAAARHH… GOD, THAT COULDN'T HAVE GONE WORSE, THE **GUN FINGERS** , WHO THE HAIR USES THE GUN FINGERS?! NOBODY! WHY DID I DID THAT!?" He made a facepalm while shaking his head and frowning "I'm helpless" 

He said as he marched to his pod, growling with embarrassment.

\----------------------------------

It had been a few hours, it was after dinnertime, and the hug watches had just given the penultimate ting! of the day. 

Then a pebble hit a pod of light blue tones. 

"Heyyy…" A female voice screamed whispering at a window, as no one came out of, another pebble struck near the same opening. 

There was a growl from the same feminine voice, and another pebble was thrown, but this one entered through the window. 

"Aw!" was heard from the other side of the hole and Rowan peeped out the window scratching his head as the pebble had hit him on the forehead. 

"Sorry" Said the troll standing on the tree branch with a small smile. 

"Willow? what are you doing here? it's going to get dark soon" he said matter of factly.

"Didn't you wanted to go for a ride on the tree branches?" She said with her hands behind her back and a rogue smile

"But I thought you said-" 

"Of course I said that, I didn't want my mom to kill me, you know? she thinks I'm in my room and-, what are you still doing up there?, get out here! or we'll be late to watch the sunset" 

Hearing what she said, he pulled his hair out the window and swayed himself from the limb in which his pod was hunged and landed in front of her. 

He didn't have time to say anything as she grabbed him by the wrist and began to run and jump between the branches higher and higher. 

"WOWOWO Wait! You're going too fast!" He yelled at her but she kept pulling him. 

He listened to her laughing as they ran and jumped, it was the prettiest laugh he had ever heard in his life and this showed the beautiful voice that girl had. 

She stood on one of the tree limbs, they were very close to the treetop, there was only one layer of branches left. 

"Here, you have to use your hair to propel yourself, come on, hurry up!" She said stretching her hair up to rise to the top of the tree, he didn't hesitate for a moment and did the same. 

The moment he went up quite a very dim light was hitting him in his eyes, which he opened wide astonished by the views. 

You could see all Bergen town from where they were, you could see the forest that surrounded the town itself, it was like something out of a fairy tale. 

"Wow… I- just… wow" He said he sat suddenly still amazed by what his eyes were witnessing. 

"It even looks like a nice place huh?" She remarked without taking her eyes off the views either

"Yeah… but… how?" he asked with bewildered face

"Because the bergens have gone home, the streets are empty" she sighed "and… for a moment, just for a moment, you can forget everything that actually happens in this horrible place" I thought she was smiling, she had a frown, as if she were retaining her sadness inside. 

He knew what that grimace was hidden and his facw became a little bit more serious and without taking his eyes from the view he said

"Our lives are pretty messed up huh?" 

"Yeah, too messed up in my opinion" she remarked with a weak laugh while standing up, she stretched her arm up and saw the sunset light pass by her hand leaving her covered in the darkness of the night, and then she looked up and sighed "Sometimes I even forgot that the cage is there" she sat down again. 

Her indigo-colored hair matched perfectly with the night sky, the views of the landscape were beautiful, but he could not help but looking at her.

She looked at the stars smiling as she hugged her knees. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" 

"Yes, you are" 

She looked at him confused

"A-A- I MEAN, YES! YOU ARE RIGHT! IT'S BEAUTIFUL, THE SKY RIGHT! WOW A **JEWEL FOR THE EYES**!" He began to look up at the sky with a tense look and a grimace of panic, geez, he really got a crush on her, at least he didn't do the gun fingers this time. 

_'A jewel for the eye, what are you a poet now?, my god I have to be more careful, okay take a deep breath and try to change the subject'_ he thought 

As soon as he came out of his thoughts he realized that she was gazing at him, and when he looked at her back she turned her head to look somewhere else and snored

"I'm sorry, you put on a very funny face when you're thinking" So, she noticed him sometimes huh? "What you were thinking about?" 

The moment she asked that, he realized what he really thinks everything he looks at her

"I don't know, it's just…" He sighed "you make it look so easy" 

She gazed at him with a puzzled face raising an eyebrow

"Like everything, fighting, saving the trollings, overcoming everything that happens and smiling at it" 

"Says the one who's always singing and dancing, you do make it seem easy to be happy" she smiled and looked at him by the corner of the eye

"But that's troll way! , we're always singing and dancing! , but, you don't need that to look happy! , it's like...." He did not know how to express himself in front of her and let out a sigh of frustration "Can I ask you something?" 

He looked her in the eye and she nodded looking at him too, for a moment he stayed in trance lost in her blue eyes, but he shook his head and snapped back 

"If you could have chosen another path, without training, without having to know how to fight, a life like the rest of the trolls have, would you choose it?" 

She bowed her head and laughed a little "am I not like the rest of the trolls?" 

"Not at all" He was so busy admiring her that he didn't realize he had answered. 

She was a little surprised to see how sure he was of his answer, but surprised in the good way. 

"No, I wouldn't choose it" 

That answer shocked Rowan "Wha- really?" he didn't expected that answer at all. 

She smiled holding out laughing, he really looked very cute when he was bewildered. 

"Don't get me wrong, I miss my father more than anything, but... If we had never _lost_ him my mother would never have taught me to defend myself, then we would never have formed the team of defenders of the tree, and okay, we have lost many fighters, but we have saved many trollings and families" She lowed her gaze "I've always believed that things happen for a reason, and maybe that all of that happened so that one day we'll be free from the bergens, so no" She looked at him again with a smile "I wouldn't change the path my life has gone"

She really was the most amazing troll he'd ever met.

"Okay, you've asked me, now it's my turn"

She crossed her legs and got closer to him which made him blush a little "Why did you join the team? I've always seen you sing and dance and you're one of the most social trolls I know, I never thought you were interested in embedding spears in the hands of the Bergens" 

He smirked holding back laughter at the description she had given him. 

"Well, I never met my parents, they caught them when I was still an egg, so I was raised by their best friends... and I love them! very much but, I've always had inside that little pain of never knowing anything about them" Upon she heard that, she frowned sadly, realizing how fortunate she was to have had the opportunity of been with her two parents, even if it was for a short time. 

"Besides. Ever since we were trollings, I've always admired you a lot, you were the first troll I saw voluntarily **miss** a party. And when I went looking for you, you were on the branch next to your pod, with a handmade wooden spear practicing, you were very determined, if I had to put my life in someone's hands it would be in yours, no doubt"

He didn't hesitate for a second about what he said, he was being completely honest with her, that girl had been his inspiration to improve, to be more than singing dancing and scrapbooks, Willow changed the way Rowan saw things, and he had no words to express how grateful he was to have met her. 

She opened her mouth to say something, but the silence was filled by the sudden Ting! that came out of their hug watches, it was the last hug time until tomorrow. She got up, shook her clothes and reached out to Rowan to help him get up.

"Thank you so much for this evening Rowan" instead of hugging him, she kissed him on the cheek "It was a lovely first date" 

He was standing like a statue, blushing like a blueberry in his light blue skin, **wait-**

_'DID SHE JUST SAID FIRST DATE?'_

"WOWOWO WHAT? How- When- WHAT?" 

Obviously she knew that he liked her, because she is **not** blind. 

He caught up with her on the branch, as she had begun to walk

"What? Have I ruined a surprise?" She said giving him a flirty smile

_'This girl's going to kill me someday'_

"HUH? YEAH? LIKE HOW DID YOU-" 

He couldn't even form a whole sentence

She was with her back turned to him, stopped walking and sighed 

"Well huh- I mean... You're the first troll to ever call me beautiful in the way you did up there" 

She wasn't looking at him, she grabbed her arm rubbing it with her hand, was she ashamed?

Then he realized how different she was from the other trolls, she had many scars and marks on her body, of fighting, and many in her hands from building things, after all, she carved her own spears and in the tree, apart from to her skills in battle she was also known for her skills building. 

"Well, maybe the other trolls are blind" 

She was stunned, his voice sounded even angry when he said that

"Because in front of me I have the strongest, determined and smartest girl I've ever met, and as you said I'm one of the most social trolls you know, and believe me, I know this whoooole tree" 

He approached her and grabbed her hands.

"And **you** are the most mind-blowing thing about it" 

Now she was the one who was standing like a statue, he kissed her cheek 

"I think it's been a lovely evening, too" he whispered 

He kept walking 

_'OMG HOW DID I DO THAT? **SHE** LIKED THE IDEA OF HAVING A FIRST DATE WITH **ME** , OH DUDE, THAT WAS SMOOTH, WHO'S BLUSHING NOW HUH?' _

While he was having that monologue in his mind he had continued to walk down the tree limb without looking under his feet and almost fell off with a not pretty manly squeal, but something or someone had caught him. 

Rosewillow had held his waist with one hand and with her other hand his wrist , for a moment they were staring deeply into each others eyes until Rowan broke the silence 

Yes, it was like a tango position, yes, she leads

"I thought you were busy blushing" in a flirting way

"Aaand I thought you could take care of yourself, but apparently not" She pulled him to stand on the branch next to her

"Let's go to our pods handsome, if my mother realizes I'm gone she's going to have a heart attack"

They were jumping into the branches below marching and their voices were turning off as they moved away

"I'm going to take you on another date, keep that in mind welding goggles" 

"Oh, welding goggles?, what a romantic nickname! you're such a loverboy!" sarcastically

"You didn't give me a chance to be romantic! I even had a song for you!" 

"Oh I caaaan't wait to hear it" 

You could hear them laughing and joking until they were completely separated. 

They didn't know it, but that first date was going to be the one that would change their lives forever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the first chapter from the past.  
> I laughed too much while writing it, I love the dynamic of these characters, and Rowan is so fun to write, he's too awkward
> 
> Also, in my head RoseWillow here is 19 and Rowan 22.
> 
> RoseWillow is a troll with seafoam green skin, blue eyes and indigo hair and she wears round welding goggles on her head, and Rowan has light sky blue skin purple eyes and dark viridian green hair.
> 
> Tell me your thoughts about the chapter in the comments, I'll see you in the next one!


	3. I'll stand by you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here's the third chapter, I didn't expect it to be thislong, but i really had a lot of content to put in and I couldn't separate it into two chapters.
> 
> I also wanted to tell you that in this story I have a collaborator, @soulscamper on instagram, she is the one who draws and had the idea of the design of RoseWillow and Rowan and will post drawings of them, and any doubts about the story you can ask them in comments but I will answer them in her Dm to. (I don't have any more social networks so she lets me use her account to answer) 
> 
> (Remember that English is not my first language, if there is any misspelling notify me in the comments)

"Rowan…?" Everyone looked at Peppy, who was looking at the other troll with wide eyes. 

Rowan turned around and saw the old former king, his mouth opened and closed several times without saying anything until it became a smile "Peppy!" he ran towards the fuxia-haired troll and wrapped him in a hug. 

"ROWAN!" Peppy was overflowing with joy "I can't believe it's you, I-I I can't believe you are alive!" he wiped his tears of joy. 

"Me?! I thought you were all dead, man!" Rowan laughed without believing what he was seeing, for a moment he thought he had lost his mind, and took a moment to look at Peppy from top to bottom. 

"Dude, you're old" pointing at him, Peppy laughed at the comment and added "You look like a hermit, did you just come out of a cave?" They joked unaware of the people around them, for a moment it was like the old days, forgetting how long they had not seen each other, as if it had been yesterday. 

The trolls around them looked surprised, was he a friend from the former king's past?

That question did not stay in mind for long, Poppy approached them and they turned when they heard her. 

"Hum? Da-" She didn't have time to finish talking as her father interrupted her "Of course! Poppy!" She hadn't seen her father so euphoric in a long time, Peppy looked at his old friend and reached out to his daughter "Do you remember her? Poppy this is Rowan, Rowan this is-" 

"Poppy?!, Is this your little girl?! Hair! The last time I saw you, you were just a tiny pink egg" Poppy was perplexed, he was definitely an old friend of his father's but she didn't know how to ask, it really seemed that his father had just received one of the best news in the world. 

"Nice to meet you" She gave him a handshake, "But, Dad, could you put me a little more in context? I'm a little lost right here" making circles with her hands. 

That snapped Peppy out of his reality and realized the situation that was actually happening "Oh hair! Sure, sure! Come to the royal pod, surely you have a lot of questions, I hope, because believe me that I have _a lot_ " Peppy guided his old friend, many trolls were already gone but there were still quite a few left witnessing the reunion "Don't worry! , go back to what you were doing, we'll explain everything in a few hours" The trolls nodded and spread muttering among themselves about what had just happened

"Poppy, come with us, we'll explain everything there" He said, turning to keep guiding rowan to the royal pod. 

Poppy was still standing at the site trying to recap everything she had just witnessed 

"Uh? Uh! Su-Sure, come on Bran- Branch?!" He was gone, he had literally vanished at some point and she had not even noticed "What the-" She arched an eyebrow, looking around but she couldn't spot any teal skin. She came out of her distraction when she heard her father calling her, "I'm coming, Dad!" she was running to where they had walked, looking back not understanding where her partner was. 

\-------------------------------

They were in the royal pod, sitting at the table, Poppy served tea to the two older trolls and sat down with them, listening to their conversation, though she was dying to interrupt them with a thousand questions. 

"After all these years, you were alive, I-I still can't believe it, but… How?" Peppy rested his cup on the table to stare at the other troll, which contracted his gaze as if it hurt him just to think about it. 

"They let me go" 

He murmured looking at him

"What? how did you get them to let you go?, what did you tell them?" 

"No, I mean _literally_ , Willow bit his hand and he **threw me** away by accident I landed in the woods by hitting a tree, I think I broke like 4 ribs" 

The king frowned, that a being as big as a bergen throws you, doesn't sound very funny. 

"I hit my head very hard and fell unconscious and... when I woke up" He sighed "I had never been out of the troll tree, a-and I was so disoriented, I didn't know how to go back" 

His voice began to tremble, and his eyes looked painingly at a fixed point, as if he had transported himself to that exact moment, then his face changed as if he had just realized something and gave Peppy a heavy expression in his face "Oh Peppy I'm so sorry, if I could have come back maybe Juniper-" Poppy for a moment shuddered to hear the name of her mother she never met, then gazed at Rowan, his eyes began to moisten and peppy put a hand on his shoulder across the table giving him a compassionate look. 

"You don't have to apologize, you did everything you could, I know it" He smiled with sad eyes, to which the light blue troll frowned and nodded, then smiled faintly "I can't believe the tunnels worked by the way" 

Peppy saw an opportunity to cheer up his old friend, who definitely wasn't having a good time remembering his painful past

"The tunnels didn't work, _Rose's_ tunnel designs worked" he corrected by raising his finger "Just over 3 years later the whole village managed to escape through them, she saved us all Rowan"

That definitely put a smile on his friend's face to heard about the effectiveness of his girlfriend's designs.

"They're not here, are they?" he gave Peppy a hopeless gaze

Peppy shook his head "I'm so sorry"

Rowan put on a weak smile, "Don't be, I already had it quite assimilated, but... seeing that you were all alive, I don't know, I got a silly hope I guess" He drank from his cup of tea which hadn't been touched until that moment. 

"There's not as much as a silly hope buddy, you taught me that" Peppy smiled and his friend's grimace changed to a grateful one. 

A silence had formed, which Poppy broke without being able to contain her curiosity for another second "I'm sorry, Rowan right? You said you knew my mom?" 

The two old trolls looked at her, as they had forgotten her presence. 

"Knew? She was one of my best friends little berry" 

Poppy gave him a widening gaze "Seriously?!"

He let out a chuckle seeing the enthusiasm of the pink troll "Actually, my girl was much closer to her, after all, Rose was Juniper's second in command _aaand_ I was your father's" 

"Well he used to get _me_ in trouble to be honest, and then Juniper and Rose got mad at us everytime" Peppy said holding back the laughter. 

Poppy smiled at seeing his father so happy, but then something clicked on her head "Wait, when we were in front of the caterbus, you asked about a RoseWillow, is she the Rose you're talking about? The one who designed the tunnels?" she looked at them giving them all her attention 

"Well, yes, she was my girlfriend actually, but she passed away many years ago" 

She was his girlfriend, she was _his_ girlfriend, RoseWillow was exactly the same name Branch had told her- **oh my god** she had just put two and two together in her head. 

"OH-MY-GAH!" For a moment she sounded just like Smidge "YOU HAD A SON!" She pointed him in an over dramatic way. 

"Huh yes, but, How do you-" He didn't have time to finish the sentence as poppy interrupted him 

"BeCauSe hE iS heRe! _DAD_ WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL HIM!?" She cried pointing to Rowan. 

"Wait- _Your_ Branch is _his_ Branch?!" Peppy was perplexed. 

"WHAT?! BRANCH IS HERE?!" He said by hitting his hands against the table getting up super fast. 

"DO NOT KNOW THAT THEY WERE THE SAME, it is a very common name!" He said trying to calm the situation down, for a moment he feared Poppy would throw a scrapbook at his head from how upset she got. 

" **nO, iT's nOt!** " she got up fast from the table, "oh my god, I'll go get him! he's probably going to freak out" There's also a chance he's already doing it "DON'T MOVE, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH HIM IN A MINUTE, _OH HAIR_ THIS IS SO EXCITING" 

She ran out of the royal pod leaving her father and rowan behind, she couldn't believe it, his father is alive!, this was going to be so good for Branch, after all these years he was going to meet him, it was so exciting, and he was going to be so happy. Just the though of her partner with the big smile of be reunited with his father, filled her with joy, she couldn't wait to get to the bunker to tell him, should she tell him she has a surprise? or tell Branch everything there for him to be prepared? Oh god she couldn't wait. 

She got to the bunker and knock on the doormat entrance, no one answered, she frowned and opened the panel on the rock, no password worked, then she realized that the bulb that should turn green or red every time they inserted a password was off, he had disconnected the panel, he could do that? oh god maybe he's in trouble? or working on something in the bunker? she didn't care, it was a too important situation to think, so she went to one of the secret entrances that were connected to the tunnels of the bunker. 

\----------------------

"Branch! _**Braaaaaanch**_!" She walked down the corridors of the bunker, but no sign of Branch, the lights were off, as if there was no one in there, maybe he had gone out for something, Poppy was going to turn around and leave, bus she saw light coming out under a door, the door of his room, of course. 

"Branch! Good thing you're here! you have to come with me, I have a surprise you're going to love!" she was about to keep overflowing her joy towards the door until a voice interrupted her. 

"I'm not going" He said in a very firm voice

Poppy tiltled her head to one side arching an eyebrow towards the door that was still closed "But Branch! It's a good surprise, You are not going to believe who that troll is! Arh! Come one open the door! "

"It's not a good surprise, I'm not going to go talk to him, and I'm not going to open the door" At first he sounded firm but as the phrase continued his voice trembled, there Poppy realized that something was off. 

"Are you alright? " she got down on her knees in front of the door, but she got no response. 

"Is there a reason you don't want the surprise?" 

"..." 

"you know who he is, don't you? You recognized him" 

"Yeah…" His voice was low, she hardly heard him.

"So that's why you vanished huh, it suprises me that after all these years you recognized him" She sat leaning her back on the door, she didn't know it but he was in the same position, both of them being back to back. 

"No I didn't , but… when I heard his name, it was as if the light of a candle had lit up in my head illuminating memories that were hidden" She smiled at hearing her way of speaking so poetic, but her smile faded as she heard his voice was becoming more and more brittle "I wasn't sure, so without saying anything I came running, to the bunker, I don't know why, I just panicked! , and between some old boxes I found this" Below the door he slid a photograph which Poppy examined, it was folded in half and even though her curiosity was telling her to unfold it, maybe he had given it to her in that way for some reason, so she decided to respect his intimacy and see only what she could without unfolding it. 

In the picture were a couple of trolls, she had indigo hair, blue eyes and even mint skin, no, seafoam green, and she had round welding goggles on her head, and the other troll was exactly like Rowan, only much younger. They were smiling seemed very happy, that broke Poppy's heart a little bit. 

"Wow... she was beautiful Branch" She looked at the photo in more detail "gosh you look a lot like your mom" She slid the photo under the door again, seeing that she was not going to getting anywhere by asking Branch about what was happening to him through the door so she insisted again "Can you open the door please? I can't help you if you don't open, and you haven't told me what's going on either"

She sighed, thinking she would not get any answers again, but he proved her wrong

"I'm afraid to see him, I don't know why, I barely remember anything about him, maybe I'm _not_ what he expects, maybe he's disappointed, maybe he gets angry if I tell him what happened to Grandma" Now he was the one who was talking way too fast "And after all these years he shows up now! ? all this time he was alive! I just... I don't know what to think, it's too much information And I know what you are thinking, it's my dad! , Why am I not happy,? Why am I not leaping from joy or something, and I dont know why I have this feeling that something bad is going to happen and maybe you think I'm being paranoid, and maybe I am! but" he paused" every time it comes to my family, things go wrong" 

His voice was wobbly, he wasn't like the rest of the trolls and that's what she likes about him, but the problem comes when something made him feel overwhelmed, his coping mechanism was to hide in the bunker and get super paranoid about it. She wanted to help him, but she didn't know how to get him to open the door and just the way she felt his voice she knew he was either crying or he was about to and he didn't want her to see him like that, she could only think of a way to calm him down. 

She took a deep breath and rested the back of her head against the door.

_"oh"_

she started singing

_"W_ _hy you look so sad?_

_Tears are in your eyes_

_Come on and come to me now"_

Her voice filled the silence of the bunker, he really wanted to help him she knew that although for her it was just great news, for him it was terribly overwhelming

_"Don't be ashamed to cry_

_Let me see you through_

_'Cause I've seen the dark side too"_

She wanted to let him know that it was there for him, she didn't want what they had discussed the day before, she wanted me to open up with her, she wanted to let her know that she didn't care about the "bad side" of him. 

_"When the night falls on you_

_You don't know what to do_

_Nothing you confess_

_Could make me love you less_

_I'll stand by you_

_I'll stand by you_

_Won't let nobody hurt you_

_I'll stand by you"_

Poppy finished singing and sighed, what surprised her was that then the door opened, and she crawled to the other side. 

\---------------------------------------

Poppy was sitting next to Branch, both leaning on the door now closed. He didn't look at her, he was with his head resting on his knees frowning looking at a fixed point. 

"Are you more calm now?" he nodded. 

"I'm sorry I overreacted" he muttered. 

"You don't have to be, I know you don't tend to take family issues well and it's totally understandable that you're this nervous, but please" she grabbed his chin turning his face to make him look at her "Don't leave me on the other side of the door, I want to be on this side, _your_ side" 

"I won't, I'm sorry I just-" 

"panicked?" She smirked. 

"Yeah" he chuckled "Am I so predictable?" 

She smiled "let's just say that when you're so nervous your vocabulary comes down a lot" 

Theur hug watches let a Ting! sound, and they hugged, he sank his head on her shoulder causing their hug to last longer, something none of them complained about. She separated the hug by grabbing him by the shoulders. 

"I think we should go, they must think something happened to me, I told them I was going to pick you up and come back in a minute" She said by rising and reaching out her hand to him to get up. 

"Wait, you told him I was _here_?!" He said pointing both hands to the ground. 

"Okay, I didn't told him you were here _here_ " Referring to the bunker, "but obviously I told him you were here in the troll village and that I was going to pick you up, you okay?" 

He began to look everywhere like a hysterical "Oh hair oh hair oh hair, this is going to be catastrophic!, he's obviously going to expect a TOTALLY-NORMAL-TROLL" he began to walk in circles moving his hands in the air as he spoke "WICH I-AM- _NOT_ What should I tell him?! I CAN'T CALL HIM DAD, THAT'S WEIRD, I HAVE NO MEMORY OF HIM! " 

"Branch-" she began to tap her foot on the ground

" _SIR_? NO, THAT'S TOO FORMAL" 

"Branch!" 

" _ **FATHER**_ , Ok no, that's creepy" 

"BRANCH!" 

He snapped out of his paranoia and looked at her "You are doing it again! geez" she put her hand on his shoulder "it's going to be okay" As much as his mind tried to enter on a spiral of paranoia, he could not help but feel relaxed every time she looked into the magenta eyes of his best friend, his partner, his queen. 

\----------------------------------

The couple was walking down the tree branch to the royal pod, Then they saw at the door of the pod the snack pack climbing on top of each other to reach to look through the door, Poppy accelerated to get behind them. 

"Guys?" When they heard Poppy's voice they screamed from the scare "What are you all doing?" 

"Is it true? Is Peppy's second-in-command back?" Dj asked with wide eyes of pure interest. 

"Gosh how quickly the news has spread" she scratched her hair

"SO IT'S TRUE, DUDE THAT'S SO COOL!" Dj squealed on her tiptoes, Poppy scratched the back of the neck and looked at Branch who returned a panic gaze

" _Aaaand_ he was second-in-command to? that's it, i can't go in there" He said shaking the palms of his hands in front of his body. 

"Arh! Branch-" Poppy growled

"Well, It was nice while it lasted" he grabbed Poppy by the face and kissed her, then turned with intent to walk away. 

She was blushing and still like a statue, she did not expect that so out of the sudden, then she shook her head to look at him "Where are you even going?" 

"To Bergen town, To ask Gristle if he can make an exception and eat me" 

"Oh Branch, don't be so dramatic" she grabbed him by the wrist "I promise you it's going to be okay" she pulled him up to the door. 

"What's wrong with your boyfriend?" Smidge asked pointing at him 

"You'll see" Poppy pushed him in next to her, "Daaaad? Dad we're back" She kept pushing Branch who had kept standing like a stone, was he shaking? geez. 

Former King Peppy came out of a door talking with Rowan, entering back into the main hall of the pod, as soon as the 4 crossed glances Rowan's mouth opened in 'o' form staring at Branch. 

"Branch?!" He wasn't even blinking, hair, the last time he saw him Branch was barely 3 years old, he hadn't realized how long it had been until this moment. 

Branch, let out a breath of air that he didn't know he was holding and waved his hand

"Hi-Hum!" 

Rowan hugged him super fast surprising him 

"I- I can't believe this is happening, I-I thought I'd lost you" He was about to cry. 

Branch gazed at him, for a moment he forgot his issues with so much physical contact and hugged him back,his dad squeezed the hug with a lot of strength actually, Branch could barely breathe, but he didn't wanted to say anything but his face was turning purple. 

"Huh Rowan? I think he's not breathing" Peppy pointed out. 

"Huh? Oh hair" He let him go so Branch could take a breather "sorry" 

"No prob" with a hoarse voice Poppy patted him on the back, for a moment he thought he was going to break him a rib. 

"Oh my god, look at you" he giggled "You're all grown up, the last time I saw you and the eg- _Uhm_!" Branch covered his mouth before he kept talking and mouthed with a sad look 'don't say anything about the egg, please' Branch took his hand out of the light blue troll's mouth, and Rowan nodded understanding paused and took a breath "last time I saw you, you were just a little trolling, and now" he said the last words with a slightly high pitched voice giving Branch a haunted gaze. 

Branch didn't know what to say, for the love of the troll tree, _HE_ was his father. 

"I-I-I I'm sorry I am not saying anything, I'm just freaking out internally, this is the last thing I expected today, not that I don't like it much less, I'm just still assimilating all this" moving his hands in circles. 

"Of course, you don't have to be sorry, it's not every day that you find out your dad is alive, you must have a lot of questions!" 

"Did you just heard dad? I heard dad, is he his dad?!" Dj asked to the snack pack while exchanged glances,but the rest that were inside the pod didn't hear them. 

"Oh this is so exciting! you have a lot to catch up!" Poppy squealed with a high pitched voice "I'm going to make some tea, wait here!" She went to another room while Branch gave her a look that shouted _'don't leave me please'_

An awkward silence filled the room but Rowan broke it. 

"So, _how_ old are you now exactly?"

"I'm 26, we escaped from bergen town when I was almost 6" he said matter of factly and he didn't add anything else, was anxious and Rowan noticed, the only thing that was left to make Rowan notice that he was nervous was to start shaking.

Rowan raised an eyebrow and smiled compassionately "okay, you're a troll of few words, I understand, your mother was pretty quiet too" 

That caught Branch's attention "actually, about mom-" But he was cut by Poppy entering the room leaving some teas on the table and looked at them "What are you two doing still standing there? Come to the table! don't be so shy! you have a lot to talk about" called them pointing her hands at the table, Poppy seemed the most excited, really the three were, but Branch had strange ways of showing it. 

Then Rowan looked behind Branch towards the door "Are those pals going to come in? or are they going to stay there all the time?" said pointing at them with his thumb. 

"Huh? Guys! were you spying?" Poppy took his hands to his hips taping her foot on the ground. 

"Oh sugar!, we've been caught! Retire! Retire!" heard Biggie shout. 

Poppy let out a giggle "They are the snack pack, our group of friends, do not worry about them, they just get very excited about this kind of things" 

"You are saying it like you don't do it." Branch teased her 

"Okay, I may have started a scrapbook about this when I was in the kitchen, but that doesn't prove anything" 

Branch laughed low at Poppy's comment. 

Then Rowan interrupted their conversation by saying "They can come in, I don't really mind" 

"REALLY?!" They heard where the door was, and when they realized, the snack pack had entered waving their hands at him. 

\-----------------------

"So after waking up and a week of crying and autocompasion , wandering through the woods, I decided I couldn't end up like this, so I took Willow's example and did what she always wanted" 

He was standing, telling them the story with great enthusiasm, they were all sitting on the floor in front, listening and looking at him with wide eyes, as if they were little trollings listening to a fairy tale. 

"What did she want? or don't tell me!, Oh God I can't handle this suspense, say it! Say it!" Smidge screamed with excitement. 

"Travelling the world" all let out an 'ohhh' from their mouths. "So I traveled through a lot of territories, meeting most of the genres and musical subgeners, learning about them, their cultures and customs, obviously I didn't tell them it was a pop troll, of course, I thought pop trolls no longer existed so it didn't make much sense to say it" he shrugged. 

"That's why they found you near Lonesome Flats" Poppy added. 

"Yes, and I'm totally grateful for it, I barely had any food left, and I was attacked by a desert animal" everyone gasped "I got badly hurt, I really thought I wasn't going to survive with those wounds, until a group of country centaurs helped me, which surprised me was that they recognized the Pop hugwatch, of course I didn't know anything about what had happened on that world tour you were talking about, I never thought all the music genres could get along"

"So you've been traveling for 23 years?! That's super cool, you've had to live a lot of adventures!" assumed Guy diamond. 

"Sure I did, but I wouldn't have made it without everything Willow taught me about survival, you could leave her in the middle of the woods, and in a day she'd have a house and a plumbing system built" he sat down again. 

Branch gave him a perplexed gaze "Mom knew about those kinds of things?" 

Rowan raised an eyebrow " _Knew_ about those kinds of things?" he snickered "She knew _everything_ about those kinds of things, of course she first learned it from her mother" He elbowed Peppy and the former king let out a contained laugh "That woman was rad" 

Branch face turned to dubious gaze "wowowo, I think there's been a awkward misunderstanding with the names or something, because the grandma I know was anything but rad, like, the most dangerous thing I saw her doing was burn a cake that almost set our pod on fire"

Rowan could hardly hold back his laughter and looked at his son with his wide eyes "Branch your grandmother ripped a piece out of a bergen's hand by biting him, you'd better not made her angry" 

"Excuse me, she whaaaaaat?!" Poppy turned to look at Branch. 

"Are you serious? Branch was astonished. 

"Willow and I left your egg with your grandmother when we were going to help in the trollstice, and when we came back we found out that a bergen had tried to grab your egg and your grandmother got so angry that she bit his hand" said laughing a little and Peppy by his side, they had known each other for many years and it was gratifying to remember anecdotes from the past. "She could have been a defender without difficulty, that woman was something else" 

But when he heard what his father had said, something in Branch's head clicked

"Wait, did you say the defenders? They were real?" 

Rowan raised an eyebrow looking at Branch, and frowned at Peppy, and elbowed him "YOU _DIDN'T_ TELL THEM ABOUT THE DEFENDERS?! DUDE! " 

"The defenders were a secret that only a very closed group of people knew about!, fighting is not the troll way, I thought the best thing was that it remained a secret" answered him while raising his arms with indignation. 

"Well, apparently you did a terrible job! because the kid knows about it!" said pointing with both arms at the teal troll. 

"How the hair do you know about them Branch?" Peppy leaned on his cane leaning forward in the chair. 

He raised his finger "First of all, not a kid" 

Branch put his hand in Poppy's hair, who was sitting next to him and pulled out the scrapbook "And grandma gave me this book, I thought it was a fairy tale, said she'd tell me about it when I was older, but I never understood what she meant" 

Peppy struck the palm of his hand against his face and growled "RosiePuff…" 

"Did you really think that the woman who didn't hesitate in hitting you with her cane even though you were a prince, was going to let you leave her daughter's story a secret?" Rowan crossed his arms. 

"Wait, Grandma didn't use a cane" 

"I know, she just took a twig and hit Peppy with it" 

Peppy crossed his arms like a child

"So, was it true?" he handed the book to his father, "About the troll who created the defenders and the story of the two trolls was true?"

Rowan, now with the book in her hands snickered "Branch, your mom was that troll, she created the team and led it" 

He turned the scrapbook to see the back cover "Aww our love scrapbook" 

"That book was your love scrapbook?!" Branch's grimace shifted into doubt "Wait what's a love scrapbook?" tilting his head. 

Rowan struck gently Peppy on the arm "Dude, did you teach him anything at all?"

"I'm sorry I was _NOT_ the best nanny" Peppy complained surprisingly using sarcasm. 

"Ey!" He cut them before that pair of idiots started arguing "Can someone explain to me?" 

Then Poppy stood up next to Branch "When two trolls officially become a couple, they create a love scrapbook that tells their story, they are very valuable, like family heirlooms" 

Rowan turned the book towards him and pointed the two embroidered letters "See? W as Willow and R as Rowan" 

Branch fell seated "So there were people defending the tree" His face turned pale, during this time he was not reading a fairy tale, he was reading his origin, his story. 

"But I've never heard anyone talk about it, and Branch would remember it, he was 5 when we escaped from the tree" Poppy contradicted. 

"Well, the reason you didn't hear from them is because they were a secret to the rest of the people, they couldn't know there were trolls doing violent acts, it would have traumatized a lot of people" Peppy explained, "And the reason he doesn't knew it is because we lost the last members in a trollstice where I assume you were still too young to remember, Branch, there the team ended forever" 

Branch was thoughtful as if making calculations before his eyes "I was barely three years old so I guess it's normal that I didn't remember" 

There was a silence, it seemed that they were all a little shocked with what they had just heard then Rowan scratched the back of his neck "So, seeing that my _dear friend_ Peppy, preferred to be quiet about the subject" He pierced him with his gaze in a friendly way "I assume you all have a lot of questions."

All the snack pack that were sitting on the floor raised their hand wanting to ask with stunned faces. 

Peppy looked at Rowan who had dark circles in his eyes, with all the conversation and reunion he had forgotten that his friend had had a very long trip. "Well, I think all your questions can be answered some other time, I think Rowan could use a little rest"

The trolls sitting in front of them both let out a whining. 

"Yes, I think it's best that we let you rest, and _we_ all have things to do" Poppy said looking at the snackpack that had run out of their duties to go to that meeting. 

They began scratching the back of their heads letting out nervous laughter as they got up and went to the door. 

"Goodbye Mr. Rowan" 

"Goodbye Mr. Older Branch" Obviously Cooper

They went out. 

Poppy had stood next to Branch inside, an awkward silence had formed as he and his father stared at each other without knowing what to say. 

Branch opened his mouth and closed it, trying to know what to say but before any sound came out of his mouth the light blue-skinned troll hugged him again. 

"I'm so happy you can't even imagine it son" 

Son, Branch's ears got a little lowered, it sounded weird to hear that again, so long ago that no one called him that, he still couldn't believe it, as if it was a surreal dream. 

"I guess I'll see you soon" He says grabbing him by the shoulders and branch shrugged. 

"Yeah, I guess" The teal troll faked a smile, and Poppy noticed and grabbed his hand giving him and his father a smile, Branch nodded and said goodbye to him. 

The moment the couple came out and walked down the tree branch, the pink troll stood in front of him preventing them from walking "okay, what's wrong?" 

" _WrOnG_? nothing's wrong!" When he was nervous he was a terrible liar. 

"Branch" She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, her partner's face contracted, something was totally wrong, "you know you can tell me, how come you're not jumping out of joy?" putting a hand on his shoulder. 

The frown of the almost jet-haired troll frowned, and he began to scratch his arm nervously "There's something about him that I don't buy" 

Poppy wided her eyes with a surprise face. 

"Are you telling me you don't trust him? Branch, is your Dad!" she raised his arms in frustration "Why can't you trust him?" 

He sighed "When I was little my grandmother told me a lot about my mother, but every time I asked about my father she wouldn't answer, she evaded the question" He looked down, it really hurt to remember it "If she didn't want to mention him maybe it was for a reason, there's something about him that's not okay, something I can't point out but I know it's there" 

The queen wasn't sure what to say, she knew her unofficial boyfriend used to be paranoid, overthink everything and getting into the worst that could happen, but when it came to his family it was different, he was really upset by the situation. 

"Okay, I know the situation _is_ weird, and I'm not telling you you're wrong, but give him a chance, I'm sure it's just your imaginations" 

He smirked, she always knew what to say to get a smile out of him "I hope you're right" 

She kissed him on the cheek and kept walking down the tree limb. 

\-----------------------------

It was night, Poppy was walking alone through the branches of the troll tree with a list in hand 

' _Okay, I have to plan a whole day full of activities for tomorrow, so Branch and his father can get to know each other better, and maybe my boyfriend can start to trust him, oh boyfriend I like the way it sounds, although I think it's better not to bring that thing out right now, I don't want to cause him a heart attack, and with everything that's going on it's been pretty close to it_ '

She was distracted in her thoughts, but a sudden sound snapped her out of them suddenly.

She froze on place, it was too late for someone to be awake, a wild animal maybe? who luckily doesn't like the taste of pink hair. 

She looked down where the sound came from, and saw some very large bushes move "Huh?" Very quietly she came down from the branch and landed on the ground and tiptoeed, approaching the bush to look what it hid. 

She tried to contain the gasp by seeing Rowan put a big backpack behind his back and look up at pop village frowning. 

She couldn't contain herself

"Where are you going?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have laughed a lot writing this one, I like to think that in the time of the troll tree they had a slightly darker and less innocent humor. That's why Peppy uses sarcasm talking to Rowan
> 
> The song that appears in this chapter is "I'll stand by you" by The Pretenders.
> 
> I hope you liked it, I would like you to tell me what do you think about how the story is going in the comments!
> 
> See you on the next chapter <3


	4. The Willow of the past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not me not having a regular schedule when it comes to post a new chapter. 
> 
> Okay, The song that plays in this chapter is 'Roots before Branches - Room for two', and the reason I'm telling you the name in the opening notes and not on the ending notes is so that you have it ready to listen to it. 
> 
> The meaning of the song is very important so I hope you like it and enjoy this chapter <3
> 
> @SoulScamper on Instagram is my collaborator, who is starting to draw troll content and she designed Rowan and Willow. 
> 
> [English is not my first language, notify me in the comments if there is any misspelling please]

Two youngs Rowan and Willow glided down the branches of the tree dangling with their hair. 

"Too slow!" Willow laughed, landing on a wider branch. 

"You clearly beat me _just_ because I let you win" joked Rowan holding a hand to his chest acting with indignation, walking towards her. 

"Aw It's that _so_?" She teased him while smiling raising an eyebrow. 

"Yeah" gave her a quick kiss and walked forward "come on, or your mom will be mad at us for being late and leaving her longer than agreed with the egg" 

She began to walk fast beside him and snickered "Yeah, as if my mom didn't love that egg more than she loves us" She said matter of factly. 

"In your case I may be able to discuss it, but I'm hundred percent sure she doesn't love me that much" raising his palms. 

"Oh come on, she likes you, maybe she doesn't show it, but she does" she grabbed his hand, taking him to a mint and purple pod. 

Before passing through the door he hesitated, "Oh sugar! I forgot, I had to go talk to Peppy about that trollstice thing" He says taking his hand to his forehead.

"For the love of the troll tree, did you forget again? Rowan!" she crossed her arms to then make a facepalm. 

"It can't wait more than today, It won't take a while, it'll be a minute!" He affirmed as he walked away. 

"This kind of thing wouldn't happen to you if you weren't so absent-minded!" She yelled at her for him to hear her. 

"LOVE YOU, I SEE YOU ON THE HIGHEST BRANCH?" He yelled at her as he ran through the tree limb. 

"ON THE HIGHEST BRANCH!" She waved goodbye with her hand as her boyfriend left, when she lowered her hand she smiled. That boy could be a disaster, but he was her disaster. 

He was always with her, during all the trollstices, during the good and the bad. Even when she was still training him, he didn't get lost in any words she said, perhaps because he was too much in love, or perhaps because he was too interested in the class, but all those workouts were not in vain, because he, along with RoseWillow, became one of the best fighters in the whole tree, and later he started training trolls too, and even though the team got smaller for every passing year, they didn't lose hope. 

The seafoam green troll, entered the pod 

"Hi mom!, sorry we're late, we got distracted talking to Bj" Even though Willow wasn't the most sociable troll in the tree, Rowan was, and that helped her get to know a lot of trolls. She heard a few steps approaching the living room where she was waiting. 

"Oh, don't worry, honey, we had a great time together" Answered a troll a little older than her, she had mint-colored hair and lavender skin, I don't think it's necessary to say who she is. 

Rosiepuff opened her hair and pulled out an egg with blue and aquamarine tones and passed it to her daughter. 

"Seriously? to me it's nothing more than giving me a headache" She says examining the egg. 

"When you were an egg you were much worse, **believe me** " She leaned on the table and looked around "And where's your _smart_ boyfriend" she used sarcasm, this lady was savage. 

"First of all, stop calling him that, and second, he went to talk to Peppy about some trollstice stuff" As she spoke she put the egg in her hair “He had forgotten, but not because he got distracted! but because lately we've been too busy" she scratched the back of his neck, nervous. 

Rossiepuff grabbed her own frown "of all the trolls in the tree…" while denying with her head. 

"MoOoOm!" complained, "we've already talked about this, you have no reason why you don't like him" 

"Of course I like him! he's a very good boy, but he's so different from you honey, It just feels a little weird that's all" She tried to explain to his daughter, who was keeping her arms folded in front of her mom. 

"First, the fact that it's different from me is what I like about him, and second, okay I get your point, but **please** stop using sarcasm with him" She asked the lavender troll by putting her hands in a praying position "he is the father of your future grandson, keep that in mind" 

"I will try" she chuckled while watching his daughter adjust her goggles and grabbing a shoulder bag adjusting it on his shoulder "I'm still too young to be a grandmother, you know that, right?" Actually she was right, Rosiepuff had RoseWillow when she was very young, and now her daughter was also going to have a son about the same age. 

Willow laughed as she checked the egg on her head heading to the door "a little late to complain about it don't you think?" 

"Better late than never" she smirked

Her daughter held back the Russian and gave her mother a smile "See you mom" Rose jumped out of the pod door. 

\-----------------------

Meanwhile Rowan was hurriedly running up the branches of the tree until he reached a room that seemed to be in the center of the top of the tree trunk. 

He ran in with hardly any air. 

"I am here! I am here! I hadn't forgotten! I'm just got-" 

" _Distracted_?" A female voice asked, the voice belonged to a pink-skinned troll and light green hair. 

"Yeah…" he regained his breath "Hi Junps" 

He waved at her and with the other hand he leaned on the large table in the middle of the room, then they heard vigorous steps approaching where they were and a much younger view of King Peppy entered the room. 

"Oh Rowan, I thought you forgot" Peppy approached his friend. 

"Yes, I'm sorry I'm late, I got distracted" He said that a lot "too many things in my mind lately" 

"You don't have to apologize, I'm sure the egg has the schedule full for you and Rose" Peppy walked towards the edge of the base on the top of the trunk where they were, it was like a balcony hidden among the leaves of the tree "How is it by the way?" 

Juniper and Rowan followed Peppy to the balcony "It's doing great actually, it hasn't given any trouble" a smile formed on his face when he said it. 

"Sounds like it's going to be a very calm trolling" Juniper smiled at him with her deep melodic voice, _if only she knew_. 

"Yeah…" he smiled at nothing, getting lost in his thoughts of what his future troll baby would be like, then shook his head remembering why he was there "Oh right, the trollstice is tomorrow, anything new?" 

Peppy looked at him, and gave him something that seemed like a list "Considering the pods that got attacked the previous years, these are the ones that are most likely to suffer the consequences of this trollstice, but as always, we must not forget the rest" 

Rowan looked at the names on the list, and for a moment he felt a guilty relief that his pod wasn't on it "How many trollings live among these pods?" He looked at Peppy frowning. 

"Quite a few, we'll try to hide as many as we can in the center of the tree, but there's too many of them and we'd risk the bergens finding the hideout if we got them all in" Peppy leaned on the railing scratching his hair, he was very distressed by the approaching events, Juniper was trying to comfort him by patting him on the back and looked at Rowan with a gaze that shouted 'help'. 

The light blue troll bit his lip without knowing what to say "Don't worry" Peppy looked at him with a desperate look "No trolling is going to be caught, we'll make sure it doesn't happen" He put a hand on the orange troll's shoulder "You're a good king Peppy, I know that one day you'll get us out of this madness" Peppy and his wife smiled, but the king frowned again "that's just a silly hope"

"Hey!" he snapped shaking his friend's shoulder to make him look at him "There's no such thing as silly hope" said in a calmer voice, Rowan was perhaps not the smartest troll in the tree, but he was the one with the best heart and was also best friend you could count on. If only he knew that was the motivation Peppy used to get the trolls out for the tunnels years later

He looked at his hugwatch and remembered something "Oh sugar! I was supposed to be with Willow at this hour!" The second in command grabbed his head, seeing that he got distracted again, The other two laughed, that scene used to happen a lot when Rowan was around. 

"Go get your girl" Juniper encouraged him while snickering. 

"And I should hurry" He climbed on the balcony railing "Thank you for the list guys, see you tomorrow!" He jumped off the balcony and grabbed one of the branches with his hair propelling himself to the next, moving away from them. 

\---------------------------------

Rowan climbed to the highest branch in the treetop, where it was their first date, and where they met whenever they had time to admire the firmament, he saw RoseWillow sitting on top of a slightly distant leaf, so he ran towards her. 

"Sorry I'm late" you guys better get used to it, because he's going to say that a lot "But I have the list for tomorrow" he said, pulling it out of his hair.

" **Please** keep it, I don't want to know anything about it until tomorrow" It was understandable, being all the time watching the bergens, thinking about how to escape and dedicating all their day to the same things it was normal that she needed a minute of tranquility, so he obeyed her and kept the list in his hair to sit next to her. 

Rowan saw that his girlfriend instead of having the egg kept in her hair, had it placed between her legs securing it with her hands, he was lost admiring the aquamarin colors, she noticed where her partner's gaze was directed and smiled. 

"You know, If you keep being late everywhere, even _he_ is going to get upset" referring to the egg. 

"Oh so now it's a _he_? how are you so sure it's going to be a boy?" 

"Because _I know_ it's going to be a boy, and you know that I'm always right" She smirked at him with a teasing gaze, hate to admit it, but she was always right.

"Sooo, do you have a name in mind for this, _apparently_ , boy?" 

She shook her head "I couldn't think of anything, you?" She looked away from the firmament to look him in the eyes.

"I was thinking, maybe Basil?"

" _Oh_ , because you want the baby to _kill himself_ " she assumed. 

"Willow!" That girl could have a pretty dark sense of humor sometimes "It's not such a bad name!" raising his arms in frustration "It was my father's name, and it's my middle name"

"Yeah, and for obvious reasons you don't use that name **_RowanBasil_** " she teased him

Rowan crossed his arms and she held back her laughter at his childish behavior "We'll come up with a name, don't worry" she said patting him on the shoulder. 

He gave her a half smile and she took advantage of his good mood to snuggle up in his shoulder. 

He rounded her with his arm and there was a lovely silence that was broken by his girlfriend's beautiful voice "Speaking of names... I've always wanted to ask you something"

"Huh?" 

"My name is RoseWillow, everyone calls me Rose, but since I know you, you've always called me Willow, you're the only one, why?" 

"Why do I call you Willow?" She nodded "Well…" he scratched the back of his neck "Willow trees represent melancholy, sadness, even the sadness of a death… but- you always gave me a very different image from that, I think that when I met you, you changed their meaning for me, that's why I've always liked to call you Willow, or RoseWillow" he was blushing a little, he was afraid it would sound too cheesy. 

She smirked at him and snuggled up more "Thank you, I never quite like my name, I think you changed that in me too" He gave her a kiss on the forehead "Do you know why my name is Willow? I don't think I've ever told you" 

"Now I'm going to die of curiosity if you don't tell me and you know it" laughing a little "Please tell me" 

"Well… It's going to sound a little silly but, my father was the one who chose the name Willow, since I was a little trolling he always told me about a legend 'the willow of the past' " she said it in a fairy tale voice "He said that beyond Berguen Town, and beyond the woods, there was a mountain, that its tip was hollow, and inside there was a Willow tree" 

He was listening like a little boy to a fairy tale with his mouth in an 'o' figure. 

"But that tree was different, not only because it was inmortal, but because it was said that with the purest force of a heart it began to shine, and it will bring you those you lost in the past, to see them one last time" she looked at the horizon with hopeful eyes "Ever since we lost my dad, I've always dreamed of being able to go to that tree, hug him one last time and show him that we had managed to escape this torture" she sighed "But I guess it's impossible" she frowned stroking the egg. 

But something surprised her "I'll go with you" came out of her boyfriend's mouth, and she looked at him surprised "Well, we'll go with you" He took the egg and put it in his hair and grabbed her by the hands "I don't think it's impossible, we're going to escape this tree, and when we do, we're going to create the roots of a beautiful family okay?" 

He always had that smile, no matter what the situation was, maybe it was naive or maybe too hopeful but Rowan always knew how to encourage everyone, and his aura was very contagious. 

Willow smiled, giving him a quick kiss "You always know what to say huh?" 

Rowan smirked and helped her get up still holding hands, she thought he was going to let her go, but instead, he started moving them, and they started dancing together like a waltz. 

"Creating the roots of a family doesn't sound bad" She said smiling at him as they danced through the base of leaves on which they were. 

"We will, I _know_ we will" He spun her while they were dancing and she giggled "And if it doesn't matter to the beautiful troll I'm dancing with, this would be better with music" he gave her a half smile, he wanted her to sing. 

She took a deep breath and her glances crossed with great intensity, she began to sing. 

_So many things to do and say_

_But I can't seem to find my way_

_But I wanna know how_

_I know we're meant for something else_

_But first we gotta find ourselves_

_But I don't know how_

They danced an intense waltz through the leaves of the treetop, for a moment it seemed that the world disappeared around them. 

_Oh, why do we reach for the stars_

_When we don't have wings_

_To carry us that far?_

It's hard to dream of a better world, it's hard to see beyond bars to imagine a better fate that wasn't guaranteed, he joined her. 

_We gotta have roots before branches_

_To know who we are_

_Before I know who I wanna be_

_And faith to take chances_

_To live like I see a place in this world_

_For me_

He lifted her up in the air between smiles, the movements came out naturally, they were perfect for each other. 

_Sometimes I don't wanna feel_

_And forget the pain is real_

_Put my head in the clouds_

_Oh, start to run and then I fall_

_Seein' I can't get it all_

_Without my feet on the ground_

She stood for a moment and squeezed her grip on his hands

_There's always a seed_

she stroked her hand into his hair so she could touch the egg

_Before there's a rose_

_The more that it rains_

_The more I will grow_

They realized that this better fate was not just for them, they owed it to their baby on the way, it was their responsibility to take care of him and give him the best life and they were going to get it. They danced again

_We gotta have roots before branches_

_To know who we are_

_Before I know who I wanna be_

_And faith to take chances_

_To live like I see a place in this world_

_For me_

Their voices sounded in perfect harmony, when they danced together it was as if they forgot that their lives were walking on a glass floor that at any moment could be broken 

_Whatever comes we know how to take it_

_Learn to be strong we won't have to fake it_

_Oh, they're understandin'_

_Oh, but when you come_

_And do it best_

_There ain't nothin' To stoppin' east to west_

_But I'll still be standing_

_I'll be standing_

_We gotta have roots before branches_

_To know who we are_

_Before I know who I wanna be_

_And faith oh to take chances_

_To live like I see a place in this world_

_We gotta have roots before branches_

_To know who we are_

_Before I know who we wanna be_

_And faith to take chances_

_To live like we see a place in this world_

_For me_

They had stopped dancing and stood holding hands staring into each other's eyes, Rowan grabbed the egg from his hair and put it in their hands. 

Willow smiled at it and stroked it carefully with a thoughtful gaze "I think I like that name" Still not looking at her boyfriend

"huh? what name?" he raised an eyebrow and she looked at him with a pure smile. 

They were going to start a new family and this was the first sprout that was going to come out of it. 

"Branch" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, yes the tale of 'The willow of the past' is very important for the plot. 
> 
> I changed the lyrics of the song a little bit, passing it to the plural as they were singing about them as a family, and honestly I think it's a precious origin for Branch's name. 
> 
> I would like to if you liked this chapter, to see that you like it motivates me a lot to keep writing and I already have a new story to come, while I write this one of course. 
> 
> Love you and see you in the next chapter! <3


	5. I'll be there in a heartbeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, here's the fifth chapter of Willow, sorry I took so long to write it but I've been very busy with college. 
> 
> The song that appears in this chapter is Summer Paradise-Simple Plan, have it prepared to listen to it, I think it's a lovely song and I really hope you like it. 
> 
> My colaborator (she designed Rowan and Willow) @soulscamper on instagram is drawing more humanized versions of the trolls characters, I leave you the link of her latest design of the twins
> 
> I don't have an instagram but I do have Twitter now! (although I'm still not very good at using it) 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter <3
> 
> [Remember that English is not my first language, if there is any misspelling notify me in the comments please]

Satin and Chenille humanized fanart: [Here](https://www.instagram.com/p/CK4bg62lfg-/?igshid=1d9v8kdkmx41h)

____________________________________

"Where are you going?" came out of the queen's mouth, as she made her way through the bushes. 

The sudden sound of a voice he didn't count on scared the hair out of him, making him scream, he turned around fast just to see the pink troll standing in front of him. 

"Well? Where are you going at this hour? it's pretty late you know" She gave him a suspicious look

"Uh…!" Panic, what was he supposed to say?! 

"And with a backpack…Oh my God! you're leaving!" She couldn't believe her eyes "I can't believe it, you intended to leave without saying anything?" She didn't sound angry, she always liked to listen to someone's reasons before getting mad at them. 

"It's a kind of an important thing" He tried to evade answering the girl. 

"What's so important to leave without saying anything? are you coming back tomorrow morning or-?" She tried to assume, but the other troll just frowned trying to avoid eye contact "You don't intend to come back tomorrow, do you?" She never thought she would feel that way about someone she had just met, but she was disappointed. 

Rowan didn't know what to say, the girl knew what he was going to do, and he began to regret his actions, but he had no choice "It's…" he sighed "It's hard to explain" He frowned looking at the ground, there was a great chance that even if he explained where he was going she wouldn't believe him, but then he saw the pink troll sit on the ground in front of him. 

"I'm all ears" She smiled at him, trying to understand Rowan's situation, he was surprised, she had just caught him in an escape attempt and she was willing to listen to him, she was the vivid image of her mother, in body and kindness.

He sat in front of her "We have to go back a long time ago" And he started telling her the story. 

\----------------------------------

"So ' _the willow of the past'_ is a real thing, not just a legend?" She gave him a perplexed look, trying to understand everything she had just heard, it was super late, but the urge to sleep was not going to stop her from hearing every detail he said. 

"As far as I know, yes" He was sitting in front of her with his arms folded "But just a very few people know about it, it was more kind of a story in RoseWillow's family" 

She believed him, what he had just said sounded like a fairy tale, but she had seen _enough_ things to know that in her world there are a lot of things that looked like they've just come out of a fantasy book. But there was something she didn't understand, she was looking at a fixed point, going over all that in her mind, and then realized something to look at him again "But... if the story is real, Why haven't you gone in these 23 years?" 

When he asked that Rowan broke eye contact and frowned as if it hurt to remember it "Because when I found Bergen Town again, and saw that the tree was empty, I assumed you were all dead" His voice sounded weaker and weaker as he explained "I doubted you all wanted to see me, after surviving by sheer luck" 

She didn't understand what he was saying, how could they not want to see him, why would they care that he had survived and that they hadn't? it was there when she realized that she had lived that scene before, she had already been in that situation, she had already been in front of a troll with the same expression on his face. Back in Bergen town, in Bridget's bedroom window, when Branch explained why he had lost his colors, Rowan did not want to go and see the willow, because he thought they had all died, and he regretted surviving. Her face contracted with sorrow, trying to say something but not knowing what. 

"But…" He continued the explanation "After seeing you all here alive, hair! even my son was alive" He smiled while saying it "I don't know… it doesn't feel so bad to go now" he Sighed "It's a i don't know how long trip, that's why I won't be able to be here tomorrow"

She couldn't stop him, it was his will and she had to respect it, but the light bulb on her head lit up, she had an idea, a good idea actually. 

"We're going with you" 

"What-" oh she was not kidding

"Tomorrow morning, we're going with you" in a determined voice she said standing up and putting her hands on her hips. 

"I don't think you know what you're saying, young lady" he got up "It's a pretty rough road, and I don't think your friends would get too excited to leave the village"

"Oh believe me they will, we love excursion trips" 

He grabbed his frown "Pinky…" And he had already given her a nickname, a pretty cute one though. 

"My father would be devastated if you weren't here tomorrow, it's been a long time since I saw him so excited about something, except on snow day of course" She put a hand on his shoulder "And Branch would feel terrible" 

"You mean it? Because he didn't seem too excited to see me actually" with an insecure voice, maybe Branch looked more like his mother, but he and his father had very similar attitudes for a few things. 

"I know that sometimes he's not very expressive, he tends to not do it when he freaks out, like a statue, it's kind of a normal thing" she paused "he's just a little different from the rest of the trolls" scratching the back of her neck "When it comes to family it's a very sensitive issue for him, it's normal that he didn't known how to react" 

Rowan went through what she just said in his head, if he wanted to make it up for the lost time, this was the opportunity. Perhaps his son was a little different from how he reminded him, okay no, he was way different from how he reminded him, but it was still his little trolling, and he still loved him in the same way. He felt relief that the queen found him, he almost made a big mistake going alone. 

"Okay" sighed "you can go with me" 

The pink troll was going to start squealing with emotion but was stopped in less than a moment. 

"But wait a moment Pinky" He raised his palm in front of the girl "What about your queen duties, you can't leave the village for I don't even know how many days without someone in charge!" he said matter of factly. 

The pink troll frowned but her grimace relaxed at the same moment "My father will take care of it" Thank God they had Peppy, though she didn't know if her father was considered as help anymore, the village was more in danger with him in charge than without vigilance. 

Rowan scratched his chin thoughtfully "I suppose that could work" he smirked "Tomorrow morning, before the first hug time?" He stretched out his hand waiting for a handshake, and she gave it to him. 

While shaking his hand "Next to the big mushroom in the center of the village, orange, big, _impossible_ not to see it"

She said goodbye while going to her pod, praying for 'running away when things get tense' to be just a Branch thing and not a family one, because if Rowan wasn't there the next morning she wouldn't know what to do. 

\-----------------------------------

It was early in the morning, actually, it was too early in the morning, it wasn't even a little before the first hugtime, it was like two hours before the first one.

The teal troll was sleeping on the couch in his green robe with blueprints spreaded around him, he had spent the night awake again probably to continue designing the light structure for the technotrolls. 

Out of the sudden a sound of a metallic object against the ground snapped him out of his sleep. His heart skipped a beat with the scare as he awoke at such a sound, his habit to be always alert did not change, he didn't wait a moment to imagine any kind of threatening intruder who was able to get in. 

He got up from the sofa with dark circles under his eyes and went where the sound was coming from, he started looking around for something to defend himself with, he took a metal watering can, yes, **he was going to water the intruder to death**. 

With the watering can high, he reached the entrance of the kitchen, which was only the hole dug into the wall, there was no door. He put his back against the wall ready to attack. 

"Oh Sugar!" A female voice that he recognized immediately cursed silently, filling the silence that had formed after the metalic sound, then he entered the kitchen lowering his guard, doubtful of if he had really just heard his queen in the kitchen. 

He was right. 

"Poppy?" raising an eyebrow, still with the vase in his hand. 

The pink troll was picking up a couple of pans from the ground she accidentally dropped, while crouching she looked up only to establish eye contact with two blue judging eyes, "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up yet" she picked up the pans and put them on the countertop.

Branch, who for a moment thought he had overslept looked at his hugwatch "Wha- but there are still _two_ hours before the first hugtime, has something happened?" 

Again, thinking she was just going to the bunker to ask for help, they really have to talk about it later.

She growled but kept her smile "no Branch, nothing has happened and-" looked at him with more detail "oh my god at what time did you go to sleep? you look terrible" 

Branch walked inside the kitchen "First of all, **thank you** " he said in a sarcastic tone, and started pouring coffee in his cup "and second of all, I couldn't sleep because as you may have known, my father, who I thought had died, is actually alive!" He said in a very negative tone "and he's in the village and I've been freaking out all night, so I tried to get distracted with the structure designs for the technotrolls until I fell asleep and- how the hair did you get in here?"

Poppy who was frying two eggs in the pan turned her head to look at him " 'Poppy' not the best password" smiled at him with a teasing gaze "and about your dad, that's why I'm here" she let go of the pans and turned to him completely "We are going… on an excursion trip!" She said raising her arms in the air letting glitter out of her hands, glitter which ended up in the face of the troll in front of her.

"I'm not going to ask where you got the glitter but, you are going on a trip with my dad?" It sounded weird, a little disturbing to be honest. 

"What? no, _WE_ are going" she says pointing them both with her finger "and the rest of the Snack pack of course" 

"Wowowowo stop right there" raising his palms "We are going on a trip with my dad? Why?!" he frowned desperately throwing his arms into the air

"What do you mean by why? _HE_ is _YOUR_ dad Branch! and you haven't seen each other in how much? 23 years?! You should be happy, it's an opportunity for you two to bond again, you know, father and son relationship?" leaving the eggs she was cooking on two plates. 

"Yeah honey that's the problem, while he sees in me his son, I see in him a stranger Poppy, **a** **stranger who calls me son** " he sounded a little paranoid "I don't _know_ what to say or what to do, I don't _know_ him! and you _know_ I'm not good at handling these kinds of situations" he rubbed his frown "mostly because they never happened" 

He never had a happy ending, nor did he have a happy beginning, and refuses to believe that they could happen now. 

Poppy frowned at him "But you're not going to handle it alone" She put a hand on his shoulder "I'm with you and the Snack Pack is too, we're going to help you, and him, he's also a little insecure about this whole thing" She had to make sure he knew he could count on her on these things.

He couldn't say no to that smile "Okay… you are right, whether it's a good thing or a bad thing you're always going to be there" scratched the back of his neck "and my father must be freaking out too quite a bit, wow **father** , okay it sounds weird saying it" Poppy let out a little giggle at seeing him self-surprised by saying that word, she knew that deep down he was very excited but did not like to show it. 

"But _why_ go on a trip? what about your queen duties and the technotrolls?" 

"It was kind of your dad's idea" that wasn't entirely true, but she wasn't going to tell him the whole story in the short time they had to get ready, and Rowan should be the one to explain everything to Branch, after all it's his father.

The pink troll took one of the plates and passed it to him "my father will take care of it while we're away, and I've already talked about it with Laguna and Synth, they agree, you _really_ need to take a break from work" 

He growled at that comment, he didn't look that bad, did he? 

"So eat your breakfast quickly and go make the backpack with all those camping stuff, because we have to meet with the rest of the group in an hour" She said, pushing him through the kitchen door. 

\-----------------------

The light blue troll was tapping the tips of his index fingers against each other repeatedly, he was nervous, it had been 23 long years since the blue defender had to be a father. The last time he had seen his son this was 3 years old, now the same child was an adult, which made their reunion awkward, rather than emotional. 

The light blue troll began to enter a sea of thoughts. _'It's normal to be so quiet despite discovering that your father is alive, right? Oh god of course it isn't, something is wrong with him, maybe he was mad? oh god I've only known him for one day and I've already made him mad?! HAIR I'M THE WORST DAD EVER AND I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED'_

He began to rub his forehead with panic which was shown on his face without him noticing. The rest of the Snack pack were looking at him as he continued his monologue in his head.

"Is he okay?" Smidge whispered to Guy as she raised an eyebrow looking at the light blue troll "What's wrong with his face?" 

" **Maybe he is having a flashback from war** " 

"He hasn't been in any war" chenille joined in the conversation while staring at Rowan who was looking at a fixed point with panic while in his head he kept making a lot of assumptions about how his son 'hated' him "I think he's broken, he's old, can someone die while standing up?" she whispered, and a voice that took them by surprise broke their conversation. 

"Did you just ask if someone could die while standing up?" It was Poppy's voice, she went hand in hand with Branch, both approached the group with perplexed faces watching that strange scene. 

Poppy tilted her head looking at her partner's dad "Mr. Rowan? Are you okay?" 

Hearing his name snapped the light blue troll out of his thoughts "Huh?!" he came back to reality and saw the younger trolls staring at him "Uh- yeah yeah I'm okay, I was just… planning this whole trip in my head" smiled as he scratched hir hair. 

They tried to act like that weird moment didn't just happen by changing the subject "Soooo Where are you taking us older Branch?" asked the funk prince. 

"Oh, I thought Poppy would have told you by now" He gazed at the queen. 

"I thought it would be best if it was you who explained it to everyone, you know, everyone" she moved her eyes twice pointing at her boyfriend so that his father would understand what she meant. 

"Uh I see, well, I'll explain it to you as we walk, the sooner we start the earlier we'll get there" He began to walk with a determined attitude. 

"Wait, why don't we take a catterbus, it's like way faster you know" proposed the pink twin. 

Both father and son reacted at the same time, raising their palms in the air, alarmed

" **NO** CATTERBUS PLEASE" Ever since they went to Bergen town to show them new holidays Branch had bad feelings about the whole 'probability of falling through a wormhole' thing, and his father had only get on one to go from Lonesome Flats to Pop village, and it was not precisely a pleasant journey apparently.

They both looked at each other, realizing that they had reacted in the same way, for a moment they looked like clones of different colors, so embarrassing they felt they quickly changed their body posture breaking eye contact. 

Branch scratched his cheek nervous "I just don't like the wormholes" 

"Yeah and I thought it would be better to go on foot, you know, camping like in the old days- wait did you just said **_wormhole_**?" 

Poppy faked a very loud laugh to cut off the conversation before it escalated "Let's not get into the wormhole thing okay?" She said with a high pitched voice moving her hands nervously

"And I think mister Rowan is right, going on foot, taking a few days off, camping, doesn't that sound like a good adventure?" She tried to convince the rest of the Snack Pack, they were always up to go on an adventure, but the middle of nature was not the place where the group defended themselves the best.

The Snack Pack nodded, not only because their pink friend seemed quite excited about the adventure, but mostly because they wanted to get out of their everyday routine too. 

The queen was very relieved to see that everyone agreed to go on foot, and turned to Rowan and Branch that were looking at the group waiting for an answer, and at least if they acted like they were paying attention to the others conversation, they could avoid uncomfortable eye contact between them both. 

"I guess we can go" she smirked and started walking pass them with her tiny bag at her back, she turned again to look at the group "come on!, adventure waits" 

Branch smiled at the image of his partner waiting for them to start walking, and approached her, the rest of the group caught up behind him. 

"Yeah, about this adventure don't talk to Tiny about how it went, I left him with Gia, she offered to babysit, but he _really_ wanted to come" Guy added as they started walking. 

"Wait, Aren't you a little too young for this trip kid?" Rowan looked down at Smidge. 

" **I'm 23** "

"Ou-" 

\-------------------------

The whole team was walking among the tall herbs, they already walked away from the pop village a while ago, and even though the silence was filled by the voices of the SnackPack commenting how exciting it would be to see the magic willow Rowan had just told them about, there was one teal troll who had not said a single word about the story, because he wasn't buying it, but preferred not to comment on it _yet_. 

Branch was walking a little ahead of the group, looking at the path they were taking before the rest to be prepared for anything, and also because he didn't know what to do, he was very nervous and didn't know how to talk to his own father. 

He did not know why but, for a moment he wanted everything to disappear around him, the teal troll did not know how to approach him, it felt like his dad was stranger he was obliged to love, he felt as if in his heart there was a barrier that prevented him from feeling the unmeasured joy he should be feeling, as if he was afraid to love him. 

His ears bent down as he realized all of that in his head, the voices in the background were overshadowed by the worries of his thoughts, but the teal troll returned to himself when a male deep pitched voice pulled him out of his trance. 

"Branch?" His father had caught up with him ahead of the group.

 _'Quick, he just called you, answer him, Dad or Rowan, Dad or Rowan_ ' 

Branch panicked internally "Eeey… **you** " Trying to smile **_'_ _OH HAIR THAT WAS TERRIBLE'_**

The light blue troll raised an eyebrow with a tiny smile, he knew that face, and he knew his son was super nervous, and to be honest he was too. 

Rowan tried to think of something 

_'Come on, something to break the ice, maybe a joke? nonono a joke wouldn't go well, and how about a 'Hey son what's become of you in the last 23 years? and why are there rocks that speak more than you? **DUDE** , THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A JOKE AT ALL, THAT SOUNDS LIKE I'M BEING RUDE'_

The old defender bit his lip inside his mouth "Your friend wasn't offended that I mistook her for a trolling, wasn't she?" 

_'Out of all you could have said-'_ Rowan thought

What he didn't expect was to see Branch grin to that comment "don't worry, it actually happens to her a lot, especially when we met the other tribes, they're not used to teacup trolls, tend to be very surprised when they hear her talk" His son took away the importance of his concern, and seeing him smile gave his dad a very deeply feeling of happiness, hair he wanted to hug him but it would make things weird. 

Silence returned, Rowan sighed, realizing that he had no idea what to say " _Okay_ , I get it, you're anxious, but believe me I am too" what he said caught Branch's attention, and he gave his dad a curious gaze. 

Rowan tried to form the words in his head before saying them but there were too many things "I-I…" he scratched the back of his neck looking at the ground while walking "I know this must be super weird for you because, well the last time you saw me you were a trolling and it's normal that you barely remember anything about me but" frowned and looked at him "I want you to understand that, for me rather than weird this is hard, because I'm seeing my three year old grown into an adult, in an adult I don't know anything about so… can we try to… kind of start this again?"

He gave Branch a sore smile, that made a knot in his chest, he hadn't stopped to think all about what the light blue troll had been through, until one day ago he thought he had lost his whole family including his own son, this situation must be burning him inside.

"Because I don't know you, but yesterday was kind of awkward" Rowan tried to contain laughter at the previous day's memory, and Branch giggled at his comment. 

"Yeah, it was awkward, sorry for staying like a statue" he chuckled 

Rowan smiled very excitedly and extended his hand "Rowan" 

Maybe trusting him is not a mistake, he smiled and gave him a handshake

"Branch" 

\------------------------------------

The two had been walking together for quite some time. They had not noticed but the rest of the group had not only stayed behind on purpose, but began to speak whispering staring at them. 

"They're talking, you see them talking?" Whispered the pink twin without taking her eyes off them. 

"Yeah I think they are, and Branch is moving his mouth so he's talking too" Guy squeezed his eyes to see them better as he walked "They are smiling, I wonder what are they talking ab-" he was interrupted. 

"Of course they're smiling!" the pop queen came out from behind Guy, "this must be the best day of their lives! A reunited family, FATHER AND SON BONDING!" She gasped "Maybe we should leave them alone for a while so they can talk more privately! yes! we should definitely do that!" 

"Poppy I don't know if we should-" Dj tried to stop her. 

" **GUYS, WE'RE GOING TO PEE!** " too late, the pink troll yelled at the two who were ahead. 

Branch turned to look at her from the distance " _ALL_ OF YOU?" he smirked at her raising an eyebrow

"WE'RE FRIENDS, WE'RE STUCK TOGETHER FOR EVERYTHING" He screamed as she pushed the snack pack into the bushes, the last thing you could hear was a " _Mew_ " from Mr. Dinkles. 

Branch let out a chuckle "You know they're not going to pee, right? It's probably some idea of Poppy, which ends with a scrapbook and lots of glitter" he explained, leaving his backpack on the floor and opening it looking for a empty little cloth bag inside

"So we'd better take this time to get some berries for the rest of the way before we set up the camp" He said as he made his way to some bushes next to them. 

"Yes, I figured they weren't going to pee all together" He approached Branch to help him collect berries. 

"Actually I saw them doing that one time, but they promised never to talk about it again" He said without raising his haunted gaze from the bush. 

" **Ew** \- well and I also figured out you're into her" 

' _SQUISH!_ ' 

Branch had burst one of the berries in his hand leaving it full of purple liquid. 

"Oh god, sorry, delicate subject?" Rowan looked at him worried that he had upset him. 

Branch shaked his head "Oh, no no don't worry, I mean we are together but" 

Rowan gave him a proud smile "Oh so you are dating! do I need to give you the hair talk?" 

"What?! **GOD NO!** " he paused "it's complicated" 

"oh, you want to propose but you don't know how" he tried to guess

"Hair, no! You got it totally wrong!" He tried to explain but his father interrupted him with a rise of joy. 

"Oh my hair, You are engaged! no? OH GOD DID I MISS YOUR WEDDING?" 

He almost gave Branch a heart attack "STOP _IMMEDIATELY_ " putting his palms towards him, trying to keep his heart from breaking his ribs from how fast it was beating, his dad gave him a curious look "We don't know what we are, we haven't made it official yet, we haven't even talked about it" He said shaking his hand to get rid of the purple liquid he had left in it. 

' _Great Rowan now you screwed up, but how was I supposed to know? isn't he like 26?!'_

"I'm so sorry, I just assumed that with the age you two have-" frowned trying not to spoil it even more. 

" **Well _sometimes_ things don't work out the way they should"** His voice was surly, and he instantly regretted saying that, he was still working on hiding his grumpy side and there were moments that he couldn't contain it. 

His dad was perplexed, he was not offended by his son's reply, he was simply surprised, that kind of response was typical of a rock troll, even in a country one, but he had never seen that kind of attitude in a pop one, something was definitely wrong with him.

Rowan swallowed seeing the expression on your child's face "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have overwhelmed you with all of that questions, it was my fault" he paused "but you are wrong in there, _everything_ happens for a reason" 

Branch, now feeling bad, ignored what his father told him and lowered his head frowning "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped like that, I was rude, and you didn't know about my relationship with Poppy, I was unfair" looked at his dad with a regretful gaze. 

As much as he had an adult in front of him, the old defender could not help but see his three year old son, he would never be spiteful with him "Hey it's okay, you don't have to apologize"

He really meant it, Branch's gaze spoke more than his words, and this showed that it was not the first time he had to apologize for something like this, what the hair happened to this kid- not a kid, "I got a little out of hand, it tends to happen to me a lot when I get very excited about something, and I end up not listening to anything" He explained scratching his hair a little bit embarrassed "Your mum used to yell at me a lot because of it" He smiled at Branch so he would stop feeling bad for been rude. 

The guilt took off quickly from the teal troll's mind, as Rowan mentioned his mom, he reacted immediately, and looked at his father in the eye with some anguish "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about… mum" He scratched his scalp looking towards his feet just to look up at his dad again "I _barely_ remember anything about her, could you-" 

He could not finish the sentence he was hard to form, his father smiled at him and interrupted him "You want me to talk to you about her" he cheerfully assumed. 

Branch squeezed his grimace and nodded, he didn't know if his father would want to remember his mother after so many years, and after what happened to her, but to his surprise his father chuckled. 

"I think I can do that without screwing up" He really hoped to be able to do it, he had already shown that he was not exactly a genius when it comes to words

Branch was glad to hear that, and please asked his father to tell him about her, for the first time he had shown excitement at knowing of a subject he used to evade hearing about. They went back to where their backpacks were and continued their conversation. 

"okay then, well your mother was the teamcoach, but I had a crush on her since a _long_ time before the whole defenders thing started" He chuckled remembering those times "I was a frosting disaster when I was trying to talk to her, we got along well, we gathered on the tree limbs sometimes, but we never went beyond being good friends" He saw his son raising an eyebrow and opening his mouth to contradict his dad, it was impossible that they hadn't passed friends phase you know, he was born,but Rowan didn't allow him. 

"But obviously, I managed to go out with her on a date, well, **she** did, I was still a disaster, and her mum didn't like me that much" 

That clicked on Branch's mind, reminding him why he didn't trust the light blue troll, why didn't his Grandma like him? It wasn't like trolls not to love your son-in-law, and his grandmother loved the whole damn tree, what did his dad do to get his grandmother to refuse to talk about him? 

Rowan kept talking without knowing he was just putting Branch on more alert

"She was always the one who took the first step, she was the bravest troll I've ever met, the audacity reflected in her blue eyes every day was unforgettable"

He looked up at the sky as if the blue seen in between the clouds reminded him of of his beloved's gaze "She was very brave the day she officially introduced me to her mother as her boyfriend, she knew I wasn't her favorite troll, but she still didn't doubt it for a moment. She confronted her mum, told her that I was the one for her, and I knew she was the one for me in that exact moment"

Branch tried to smile at that memory, but could not get his trust problems and prejudices out of his head. 

"Your grandmother ended up accepting me, more or less, Willow helped soothe that characteristic bad temper she sometimes had" He giggled, he had it as a funny memory, but Branch was starting to take it a little personal. The whole grandmother thing was still delicate, and even though Rowan knew her for much longer, she was Branch's maternal figure, and he's protective about her good image, obviously he wasn't going to like a single negative comment even if it was a joke. And if Rowan kept talking like that, his son was going to snap again, but he was saved by the bell. 

"Guys we're back!" The queen was walking fast towards them followed by the Snack pack.

 _'Thank god'_ Branch thought, and his relief was shown in his grimace, which his father noticed, but the light blue troll preferred not to say anything about it.

Poppy and the rest approached where they were. 

"Did you just finish "peeing"?" He said with a knowing voice, raising an eyebrow and remarking the quotation marks with his fingers. 

The pink troll was trying to contain her high pitched laughter hiding something behind her back, swinging on her heels. 

"Let me see the scrapbook" He smiled at her knowing well what his girl hid, no one takes that long to pee. 

Poppy pulled behind her back a card, which when unfolded, let out two felt figures from two trolls, one with his colors and another with his father's, Branch barely had time to read the word 'bonding' and notice like fifteen felt rainbows before a glitter explosion hit him in the face.

He squeezed the side of his nose and snorted letting out a shot of glitter through one of his nostrils, his face was quite serious, it seemed like a flashback of their first adventure to BergenTown. 

"Maybe too much glitter?" The queen asked, frowning. 

"What? no, I loved it, really" He folded it and I put it in his hair "You know I love your scrapbooks" 

"Your face doesn't say the same thing, are you okay?" she gave him a concerned gaze. 

"Oh, yeah I'm fine, it's nothing really" began to scratch the back of his neck nervously. 

He was doing it again, she gave him a disapproving gaze and crossed her arms "Branch, we have talked about this before, am I going to have to wait for you to tell me or do I have to insist?" 

The teal troll frowned, he knew he had to open up more "okay" he sighed "Do you remember what I told you yesterday when we came out of the royal pod? When we meet my dad?" 

They saw that the rest of the group that was further ahead with Rowan began to walk, and they followed them from behind. 

"Yeah, why?" 

"Fine, the conversation was going great, with it's up and downs but great, but then he kind of make me remember why I wasn't trusting him, and made it worse"

he adjusted his backpack better behind his back as they walked. 

Poppy sighed "Okay, I get it, it's hard for you to trust him knowing he had a bad relationship with your meemaw, but he was her son-in-law!" She tried to argue. 

"Have you ever seen a pop troll not get along with another pop troll? _more_ if it's their family's?" he said matter of factly.

"Yeah uh, this is just a theory _okay_? just a small hypothetical situation, can't there be any chance that she'd prejud-" her voice was coming out in a high pitched tone "okay not that can't be" she wasn't going to finish that sentence, it was too risky to continue it. In addition, she had contradictory ideas in her head, not in a million years would she think RosiePuff would prejudge anyone, but she didn't see Rowan as a bad troll. 

"Maybe you two just need to embrace your bond" She proposed frowning 

"I don't think there's any bond to embrace, 

sunshine" His voice sounded like a whisper. 

His grimace was sad, but she knew that what was really in branch eyes which she was not making contact with, it was remorse, she had already seen that expression on his face many times, but this time was precarious for her to do something fast. 

Then the light bulb on her head lit up. 

"Yes there is, and you know the best way to reinforce a broken bond?" She had the biggest look of excitement in the world.

"Please don't say a song" 

"A SONG!" 

" **Oh** **hair** -" 

"GUYS!" She caught the attention of those who were walking ahead, they turned their heads as they walked to look at the pop queen. 

"You know what would make this walk more enjoyable?" She didn't have to answer, the faces of the snack pack lit up in a second. 

"What song queen?" Dj asked

Before Poppy came up with a song Biggie jumped with an idea "Mr Old Branch, you have to join the song!" The rest of the group supported his proposition. 

"What song could we sing?" 

"Wow hey" He stopped him "First of all my name is Rowan" he chuckled "and second of all, I haven't heard a pop song in like 20 years" 

Everyone gasped, even the plants around them gasped, they looked at him like he just kicked a puppy. 

But that didn't stop Poppy, it even gave her an even better idea, "Don't worry, Branch likes the oldies" 

"Yeah he's old" Added Cooper

"I said _oldies_ , not- nevermind" She preferred not to contradict him "Any old songs you can think of?" 

Branch pierced Poppy with her gaze, and she only smiled teasingly at him. 

Rowan scratched his chin thoughtful, making a 'hum' sound, lifted his index finger, he came up with one. 

"I think I know one, one that's impossible to forget, very catchy believe me" 

Branch contracted his frown looking at Poppy, he really didn't want to do it, it felt uncomfortable, but she gave him a comforting smile that shouted 'trust me', so he did. 

Poppy pulled out of her hair her ukulele, a new one, as her unofficial boyfriend had burned the old one, and passed it on to Rowan. 

" _Okay_ , I think I remember the chords" He finished adjusting the instrument pins as he walked, and raised an eyebrow looking at Branch, he wanted him to join. 

"Uhh- I don't think that I will remember it" He scratched his forehead looking away, he'll probably know the lyrics but still had his reservations as to his father. 

Rowan started playing the ukulele "you're not going to be able to avoid joining" he said with a singsong voice. 

The melody was quite cheerful, and the teal troll recognized it in a second, he had heard it many times when he was little. 

Rowan started singing

_"My heart is sinking as I'm lifting_

_Up above the clouds away from you_

_And I can't believe I'm leaving_

_Oh, I don't know, know, know what I'm gonna do"_

His voice was deep, but it sounded very good, his footsteps went with the rhythm of the music as he walked playing the instrument, and it was contagious for the rest of the group. 

_"But someday, I will find my way back_

_To where your name Is written in the sand"_

_" 'Cause I remember every sunset_

_I remember every word you said_

**_And we were never gonna say goodbye_ **

_Singing la-da-da-da-da"_

Knowing the background of his life the lyrics of the song sounded a little sad, but he wasn't, he adored that song and kept it in his mind like a great memory. 

_" **Tell me how to get back to**_

**_Back to summer paradise with you_ **

_And I'll be there in a heartbeat, oh-oh_

_I'll be there in a heartbeat, oh-oh"_

Everyone was smiling at the catchy song, it really encouraged them to walk, what surprised them was hearing a different voice sing the next verse. 

_"My soul is broken, the streets are frozen_

_I can't stop these feelings melting through"_

Branch begun to sing too, his father was right, he could not help it. He grabbed Poppy by the hand and danced with her

_"And I'd give away a thousand days_

_Oh, just to have another one with you"_

Rowan smiled as he heard his son's voice so changed since last time

_"Where real life can wait_

_We're crashing like waves_

_We're playing in the sand_

_Holding your hand"_

Rowan joined him.

" ' _Cause I remember every sunset_

_I remember every word you said_

_And we were never gonna say goodbye_

_Singing la-da-da-da-da_

_Tell me how to get back to_

_Back to summer paradise with you_

_And I'll be there in a heartbeat, oh-oh_

_I'll be there in a heartbeat, oh-oh"_

Their voices harmonized perfectly, it's like they've always sung together. 

_"Oh-oh, oh-oh, yeah_

_Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh_

_I gotta find a way to get myself to you_

_Oh-oh, oh-oh"_

Rowan let Branch sing alone, and the teal troll looked at Poppy. 

_"Someday, I will find my way back_

_To where your name Is written in the sand"_

They all joined the song while dancing as they walked to the rhythm of the music. 

" ' _Cause I remember every sunset_

_I remember every word you said_

_And we were never gonna say goodbye_

_Singing la-da-da-da-da_

_Tell me how to get back to_

_Back to summer paradise with you_

_And I'll be there in a heartbeat"_

Rowan and Branch's voices sounded a little higher than the rest, as the Snack Pack lowered their volume a little because the father and son together really sounded mind-blowing. 

_" **I remember when we first kissed**_

_And how I didn't want to leave your lips_

_And how I never, ever felt so high_

_Singing la-da-da-da-da_

_To tell me how to get back to_

_Back to summer paradise with you_

_And I'll be there in a heartbeat, oh-oh_

_And I'll be there in a heartbeat, oh-oh_

The two of them alone sang the last sentence. 

_" **And I'll be there in a heartbeat** "_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't you love when someone turns a happy song into a crying for my dead girlfriend one? 
> 
> Okay, I really hope you liked this chapter.  
> It's not that Branch doesn't get excited that his father is alive, is that he's uncomfortable, because he sees in him a complete stranger.  
> As for not trusting him, it's one thing that won't change, even though RoseWillow was his mother, who raised him was his grandmother, and his maternal figure is her, and she has a lot of respect for her, if she didn't trust someone he can't do it either.
> 
> The next chapter of the present is going to be a little bit hard, it's going to bring very strong and harmful feelings, but to get there we first have to go through another part of the past. 
> 
> (This little story it's like a practice before I start a much longer one that I have prepared) 
> 
> I hope you liked this new chapter, see you on the next one! <3  
> And tell me what kind of things you would like to see in this short adventure


	6. "I'll take care of them"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I can't believe we're already in chapter 6 of this short story. 
> 
> I'm sorry I took so long to write it, but I was busy and this chapter is very important because it has a lot of details, so I recommend you read it in detail.
> 
> The song in this chapter is 'Willow- Jasmine Thompson' (I recommend that you have it ready to listen to it while reading) 
> 
> Without further detail here I leave you with chapter 6, I hope you like it and the comments are always appreciated and they motivate me a lot to keep writing <3
> 
> [Remember that English is not my first language, if there is any misspelling please notify me in the comments]

My colaborator's fan arts:

[Branch Humanized AU](https://www.instagram.com/p/CKg1UddFMkH/?igshid=1xyynny11acm9)

[Poppy humanized AU](https://www.instagram.com/p/CJW4DNDlm1c/?igshid=1c9dqsfy5ovcp)

[Satin and chenille humanized AU](https://www.instagram.com/p/CK4bg62lfg-/?igshid=1ajowisg465sl)

[Guy Diamond humanized AU](https://www.instagram.com/p/CLISYenF9Kx/?igshid=zw8jankw3kn4)

[DJ Suki Humanized AU](https://www.instagram.com/p/CLSs7UGlmcX/?igshid=ge3iod1n2qgf)

________________________________________

The view was black, nothing could be seen, all that was heard was a deep breath and a few squeals of a very high pitched voice. The voice became clearer and it could be hardly understood what it was saying.

"Wake up… Hey Come on!... WAKE UP!" 

The eyelids opened and the sudden light damaged his eyes, but most of his view was occupied by a small trolling with green teal skin and dark blue hair. 

"Dad!" The little trolling jumped on top of his father who was still in bed. 

"Branch…" he paused "HUH? **Branch**?! What are you doing awake?! What time is it?!" Young Rowan was exalted to see his son awake before him and looked at his hugwatch on his wrist only to sigh with relief, he hadn't overslept, It hadn't been the first hug time yet. 

Then he looked at the other side of the bed, which was empty. 

"Where's your mom?" He said by resting his body on his arms to have a better look of the little troll sitting his legs. 

"She woke me up a while ago, told me that she had to go see Judhiper, and that I had to wake you up" He mispronounced it, but we valued the effort. 

The dad thought about what his little son had just said, and returned to the horrible reality, today was Trollstice, the day everyone hated the most in the whole year. 

Rowan's expression changed to a sadder one, but seeing his son in front of him made him remember that he couldn't let his trolling see him sad. 

"Okay, how about you let me get out of bed and we go to see Juniper and your mom?" He said smiling. 

"Yay!" His son jumped with joy, the trolling was too small even to understand what the Trollstitice was, he had a vague idea, but they could not let him know all the details so soon, it could traumatize him. 

Rowan chuckled and rubbed his son's head to then held him in his arms as he got out of bed. The little trolling was clinging to his father's clothes so as he wouldn't fall while looking at his father's face that was more serious than usual. 

He may be a child, but he wasn't stupid, he knew something bad was going on every year, but he didn't want to ask because his parents already looked worried enough. 

He knew his parents had to go to work all day from an early hour, but he still didn't know exactly why, he knew it had to do with the giants he sometimes saw outside bars, but he didn't know what role they had in that story.

\-----------------------------------

Meanwhile in the center of the top of the tree trunk, on the same balcony on which Peppy used to contemplate the views of his troll population, there was a woman troll, with pink skin and glitter on her cheeks shining with the sunlight passing through the leaves of the tree, that intense light was also reflected in her green mane, making it look like a light green color when it was actually a dark emerald green. She was contemplating with a serious look the views from the balcony, and her two yellow eyes focused to her left. 

On that side was a seafoam green troll with big welding glasses on her forehead, biting her thumb nervously looking at a fixed point. 

"You haven't said anything yet" The pink-skinned troll said with her deep voice and a serious expression towards her friend who was standing next to her. 

"I just can't Juniper, this is too much" she could hardly form a sentence, her head was a sea of thoughts that was in the middle of a storm.

"Rose we've talked about this" Her voice became sharp, as if this was not the first time that situation had occurred. 

"I'm sorry but I can't do this!" She looked at her with wide eyes "What the hell do you expect me to do?! act like nothing's going to happen? act like tomorrow's going to be another totally normal day just that maybe you're not here?!" Her voice broke like a crystal, she was too stressed, she couldn't stand her friend's serenity even in that situation "Juniper you've been chosen for this trollstice"

"I know Rose, while being queen this was a risk I had to take" She did not separate her gaze from the views, her expression did not change despite the harsh words coming out of her mouth. 

RoseWillow looked at her desperately "I can't let that happen" Before she kept talking, the queen cut her off. 

"I know you'll do everything you can to keep it from happening, but don't do anything reckless" She looked at her friend with a very serious expression "Don't even dare do it RoseWillow"

"I'm your second-in-command" 

"And you're my friend" Juniper corrected her

"The tree needs you!" 

"And **your family** needs **you**!" Her voice was firm and she gave piercing gaze at her friend "and this tree needs you as much as I do, I know you'll do everything in your power to avoid it, but if there's no way to do it…" she sighed "don't do something stupid and **don't** sacrifice yourself for me" 

Rose wanted to contradict her but Juniper kept talking "You know how long it would take making the tunnels if you're not here? it would take us more than two years, if you don't supervise it Rose" She was trying to make her second-in-command come to her senses "Think about your family, I know it's your job, but you have to have priorities and your job should **not** be one of them" 

The seafoam green troll downed her gaze and leaned on the railing of the balcony "I'm sorry, you're right,it's just that I'm really scared of what might happen" 

Juniper leaned on the railing beside her "I know, I'm pretty scared too, but I know you'll do well" 

Her second command said nothing and only smiled frowning, trying to keep all intrusive thoughts away from her head of what might happen on that nefarious day. 

A sound between the leaves of the tree surrounding the trunk's balcony made her stand alert, the trollstice hadn't started yet, has it?

Rose put her queen behind her, about to pull out the spear she carried behind her back to defend herself, but then from the branches beneath the balcony a blue figure leapt upwards, standing outside the railing. 

"Hi Honey!" Rowan appeared out of nowhere smiling, causing his nose and his girlfriend's to touch. 

Willow's soul almost came out of her body from the scare her boyfriend gave her " **ROWAN!** " She said furiously for a second, for scaring her that way on a day like that, then she realized that her boyfriend was smiling, he didn't used to smile in the trollstice, it was the only day that managed to snatch his positive spirit from him, then she realized why he was doing it. 

"Where is him?" She said smirking and raising an eyebrow. 

At that very moment Rowan's hair split in two leaving in sight a small smiling trolling. 

"Hi mommy" His high pitched voice was too cute to not smile. 

Rose giggled at the image of her little boy sitting in her boyfriend's head staring at her with those two blue spheres he had for eyes. 

The queen smiled when she saw the little trolling, and in that exact second her face changed to puppy-eyed pouts for her seafoam green friend. 

Rose tried to contain her laughter at how the pink troll's attitude changed so quickly, Juniper had a weakness for children, but she knew Branch since he hatched, with him she had a very strong weakness. 

Rose decided to stop torturing her best friend with the wait and told her that she could hold her son in her arms, the girl didn't wait a second to steal Branch from Rowan's hair and hug him.

"Hello little one have you missed me? I do miss you, you haven't come to see the egg in a long time" She says while caressing the child's hair. 

The little one let out a little giggle at the sudden attention of his mother's best friend "Hi Miss Judhiper" He keeps mispronouncing it, he'll make it at some point. 

Hearing the way her name was pronounced in that high-pitched voice, the queen almost melted right there and gave the child's mother a look that shouted 'I love him' 

The royal egg had not hatched yet, and the queen was too excited to be a mother. Although Juniper always had that connection with Branch since he was born 3 years earlier, she saw him as her nephew. He was very important to her, the pink troll always thought that when her daughter was born the two of them could be best friends and maybe grow up together. 

Until that day she had never thought that she might never get to meet her own daughter. That thought made her face change, she was staring to a fixed point with a haunted gaze. 

Rose noticed and realized what her queen was thinking about and gave her a compassionate gaze, it was a difficult situation for everyone but specially for her best friend who will be debating between life and death today. 

The second in command looked at her own boyfriend who was still standing outside the balcony and gave him a mandatory gaze pointing to their child with her head. 

"Ou-" He jumped the railing, landing inside the balcony with them "Hey _psss_ " He caught his son's attention "Come here" He whispered to his son, making signs with his hands. Branch got the message and jumped out of Juniper's arms who was still paralyzed, and went fast to his father. 

Rowan took him in his arms "Let's let Mom and Juniper talk in private" He said walking inside the trunk coming out of the balcony. 

RoseWillow went to her friend and put a hand on her shoulder "Junps?" 

Her friend reacted by hearing her nickname, and although she made eye contact with Willow's blue eyes she broke it at the same second with a pained frown 

"Hey, it's okay to be worried, it's normal thing to feel when you are in your position" Actually the queen was taking it too calmly until that moment

"It's not because of that" She countered her friend and leaned on the railing holding her head with her hands "I hadn't stopped to think what would happen to my daughter if I got caught, she wouldn't have a mom, she'd be alone, and Peppy-" She felt like she had a knot in her chest "I can't leave them alone" Her voice came out more shaky and high pitched than usual, how could she not stopped to think until that very moment how the consequences would affect her family?

She wanted to cry at the time, but she could not do it, she had to keep her composure. 

So she made a decision. 

She removed her elbows from the railing and turned to her second command "Rose, If anything happens to me, I want you to be my daughter's maternal figure" 

Willow was stunned at what she had just said "Wha- what?" 

"I need you to be there for her the way I should be, and if-" she paused, what she was going to say was burning her inside "If _anything_ happens to Peppy too, I need you and Rowan to take care of her" 

"Are you saying that-" 

"I'm saying if anything happens to both of us, you and Rowan should adopt our daughter" She said it firmly without hesitating for a second, she wasn't going to let her daughter grow up alone or raised by someone she didn't trust "Would you do that for us?" 

"That's not going to happ-" 

" **Would you do that for us?** " She insisted with a more serious tone and then sighed " _Please_ Rose, I can't stay calm if you don't answer me" She gave her a candid look. 

Willow didn't want to answer, she didn't want to even imagine having to get to that situation, not because they would had to raise the future princess and queen, but for having to spend a day without her two best friends, Juniper was like a sister to her. 

She finally squeezed her lips and frowned "Of course we would, you have my word" It hurted her just to say it. 

Juniper smiled as much as she could into the pain that possibly came on that terrible day and relieved by her friend's answer, she hugged her holding back the tears that she still didn't know if they were of joy, sadness or fear. 

"Thank you RoseWillow, you really are something else" She broke the hug while still smiling at her non-biological sister. 

The second in command smiled at the compliment which she had heard a lot throughout her entire life being undoubtedly one of the most unusual trolls in the tree. 

"Well, I think I should go see Peppy before the trollstice bell rings, I want to go see the egg, you know, just in case" She tried to downplay what might happen so as not to worry the seafoam green troll even more "Thank you Willow, I really mean it"

The second-in-command only nodded at the will of her queen and saw her grab another branch with her hair to climb up to the royal pod, leaving her standing on the balcony. 

The girl stood recapaciating in her head the whole conversation she had just had with the pink-skinned troll. 

The sound of a few steps going towards her pulled her out of her trance. 

"Willow?" a deep voice caught her attention enough for her to turn around to see her boyfriend with her son in his arms. 

"Is everything okay?" He knew that clearly everything was not okay, but he was asking it to make her realize the frightened expression on her face. She was still not getting the point of the question so he pointed with his eyes to the trolling he was holding. They couldn't let Branch see them affected, they couldn't risk making their son suspect that something bad was going on. 

She noticed and shook her head putting on a calmer grimace "Yeah everything's okay" faked a smile, approached them and grabbed Branch in her arms "and what are _you_ still doing out here, little berry?" She tickled his son's tummy making him giggle "We have to take you to grandma's"

But the trolling's face changed in a second, he stopped laughing and frowned and after that grabbed his mother's vest and hid his face on her shoulder. 

Both parents looked at each other with worried glances because their son never behaved like this, his mother frowned worried "Hey, little one, is something wrong?" As she patted him on the back.

"I don't want to go to grandma's" he muttered making it difficult to understand as he did not pull the face away from the vest. 

They both were stunned "Okay, something's **definitely** wrong with him" Rowan said raising his eyebrows, his son had never refused to go to his grandmother's pod, he loved her as his second mum.

"But why don't you want to go to her pod, honey?" Willow asked him with a soft voice. 

"I know you're lying to me" babbled with bad pronunciation due to the lack of a tooth at the top of his mouth "You're going to leave" his voice seemed to be on the verge of weeping

" _What_?! What made you think we're leaving?" For a moment they thought Branch had discovered what was hiding from him, but either luckily or unfortunately he didn't. 

"Because Gia's mom didn't come back last year" his voice was trembling "You want to leave me with Grandma to get out of the tree without us"

He got it wrong, but that didn't stop him from breaking their hearts. Willow frowned to Rowan as a cry for help, she didn't know what the hair she was supposed to say, 'look kid, we're not going to run away, we're just going to try to protect other trolls from being chewed alive by some horrible giants and risking our lives in the process?!' She was a lovely mother but she wasn't good with words.

Right at that kind of moment is when she remembered why she needed Rowan by her side. 

"Hey kid, hey" he stroked his sons hair and insisted for Branch to look at him "We're not going to run away from you! you're the most important thing we have in our lives buddy" removed a few tears from his cheek with his thumb and his sad gaze became a realizing one, at the time it seemed to him that it was the right thing to say "But you are right, we were lying to you" the girl holding the kid pierced him with her gaze not believing what her boyfriend was saying "It's true that we're not going to work the whole day with Peppy and Juniper, but there are times when adults have to hide things from their children to protect them, you understand that Branch?" 

Seeing that the little troll nodded rubbing his eyes Rowan felt the way safe enough to continue talking "We love you, and we want to protect you even if it meant having to keep some things from you, but it wasn't right, because you had to jump into conclusions alone, and it made you feel bad and it's the last thing we wanted to happen" the defender rubbed his own forehead still inclined so that his face would rise to the same height as his son's "so this afternoon when your mother and I go back we'll explain everything to you, I promise okay?" 

The mum opened her mouth, to contradict her boyfriend until she saw it worked, her son was no longer crying and he loosened his grip on her vest. 

"Now, can we take you to grandma RosiePuff's? He smiled at the kid who nodded smirking weakly back. 

Rowan looked up at his girlfriend who nodded too. 

\--------------------------

The pair of defenders were at the door of a pod of mint and purple colors. 

"Remember to be nice to grandma and don't get out of the pod, we'll come pick you up in a few hours, okay?" Rose said crouched down to be at Branch's height, his son nodded giving them a little smile, he didn't know it was going to happen but he didn't want them to go "Come on, give us a hug" She and her boyfriend opened their arms to receive their son in a painful embrace. 

They squeezed the hug with a look of pain for having to separate from him. 

Rose shared a knowing look with her mother "I'll take care of them" Rosiepuff said smiling with a gaze that shouted 'be careful'. 

Rowan reminded his girlfriend that they had to go to get ready, and headed to one of the flats in the center of the troll tree. 

As they walked Willow turned her head to look at Rowan "Okay, _how_ did you do it? You managed to calm him down in less than one minute!" 

Her boyfriend's face changed to a forced smile "Oh you mean being a terrible father and admit to him that we were lying, and that later we're going to tell him the truth!" He said with a sarcastic tone "WITHOUT EVEN _KNOWING_ IF WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THE ' _LATER_ '" He grabbed his head panicking " **OH MY GOD** I'M A TERRIBLE FATHER HOW COULD I TELL HIM THAT?!" 

"What? Hey Rowan- Hey!" She grabbed him by the wrists forcing him to share eye contact "You did great, that was exactly what you had to tell him, he-deserves-to know" Her blue eyes became a sea of calm in which Rowan dipped in managing to stop panicking "You're the best father he could have, don't be overwhelmed by doing the right thing" 

He looked down frowning and Willow loosened the grip on his wrists "I'm not the best father" without noticing they had already get walking to the center of the tree trunk "I'm always screwing up with him"

"Yes, you are the best dad, and you've never screwed up with him, you always know what to say even in the worst moments" She said matter of factly "You're an expert when it comes to talk to the other trolls not only with Branch, you have a sensitive I could _never_ even think of having" 

"What does that matter? I'm always with my head in the clouds, I'm not the responsable a father or a defender should be!" Even though he tried to stand firm all that had happened or could happen that day overwhelmed him too much. 

"You are not irresponsible!" 

"Willow lost him in TrollIKEA, **three** times! on the same day!" Okay, he gets distracted very easily, nobody is perfect. 

Willow smiled at the memory of when that happened, she raised her hand and stroked the cheek of the light blue troll with her thumb "Okay, you are an expert with words, but you forget that _I'm_ an expert at Rowan, and you have me when those things happen" He smiled at her "You're a great father and a great defender, and I love having to be responsible one" 

He grabbed the seafoam green hand that was on his cheek and kissed it "What would I'd do without you" 

"I ask myself the same thing about you every day" 

From where they were Rowan looked at the hollow of the large balcony through which the light entered to that floor "There's still a while left for the trollstice bell to ring" He said looking at his hugwatch "and I'm grateful for it because I'm not ready for today yet"

"Rowan…" She said in a warning voice, she didn't wanted him to start with thst subject

"No Willow, I'm serious, I'm terrified, it's the queen we're talking about, this trollstitium is going to be devastating, what would _I_ do if _you_ die?! " 

She didn't seem to be startled by the question, and took it pretty calmly "You could go to 'The Willow of the past' to see my ghost and ask me for forgiveness for leaving the toilet seat up everyday" She smiled trying to play the matter down. 

"Did you just make a **joke** about your **dead**?" She could not be serious, she was a very responsible girl and a great fighter, but she had the same delicacy as a catterbus in a porcelain factory. 

"I'm sorry I'm sorry! But I just can't think about the worst before a battle, I need to stay positive even if its hard" She didn't know how to make the situation less tense, and the joke hadn't been the way, she knew they were going to face death but she wanted- no, she needed to ignore it even if it was for that remaining time. 

"I know, I'm sorry, I know you need that optimism Willow but it's difficult you know, to not think about the possibility-" 

"Rowan" she paused "look at me" her gaze was serious "Everything happens for a reason, what might happen, is because it has to" She always said that, ever since he knew her that was the phrase that came out of her mouth the most, and she always said it with the same weak smile and that sad frown. 

"I know…" her boyfriend nodded contracting his grimace it was there when she knew exactly what to do with the left time, and grabbed her boyfriend's hands and placed them on her hips, then she placed her hands behind her boyfriend's neck and began to swing sideways to the rhythm of a music that was not playing. 

"Remember our first date?" 

He gave her a puzzled gaze "Yeah but what does that have to do with-" 

"Shhh" She didn't let him finish, if he wanted to relax he will have to listen "You remember that, don't you? okay, remember the song you wrote me and you couldn't sing to me on that date?" She gave him a smile. 

"You mean the one you then used as a lullaby?" As they danced to the rhythm of silence

"That one" She simply gave him a deep gaze making her eyes look like two pools in which he could dive in and never come out for air.

"I love dancing with you you know it right?" 

Dancing had really become a custom between the two of them, whenever they needed to calm down, especially before a trollstitice, they would dance to the sound of a song they sometimes sang or simply hummed calmly intertwining their manes. 

There was no music but they didn't need it, they never did. 

_Down by the water_

_Under the willow_

_Sits a lone ranger_

_Minding the willow_

She had started singing, it was the song he had composed for her years ago, she used to use it as a lullaby, but to hear it as they danced was magical

_He and his wife_

_Once lived happily_

_Planted a seed_

_That grew through the reeds_

_Summers and Winters_

_Through snowy Decembers_

_Sat by the water_

_Close to the embers_

_Missing out the lives_

_That they once had before_

They had always danced together, the day they decided Branch's name was just one more for the list, the day they decided to have a child, the day they officially started dating, it all started and ended with a dance. 

_I wouldn't leave you_

_I would hold you_

_When the last day comes_

_What if you need me_

_Won't you hold me_

_On the last day_

_Our last day_

All those waltzes were in reality little steps inside the song they had been dancing all their lives. 

_Mr and Mrs_

_Dreamed of a willow_

_Carving their names_

_Into their willow_

_If he had spoken_

_Love would return_

_Spoken inside_

_Too soft to be heard_

He had composed it, but she had made it her own, for him everything that came out of her was better, she made him better

_Summers and Winters_

_Through snowy Decembers_

_Sat by the water_

_Remembering embers_

_Missing out the lives_

_That they once had before_

They danced through the center of the tree trunk

_I wouldn't leave you_

_I would hold you_

_When the last day comes_

_What if you need me_

_Won't you hold me_

_On the last day_

_Our last day_

_Somewhere the timing will all come together_

_The mishaps will turn into sunny Decembers_

_The lovers_

_Will be able_

_To find their willow_

Her voice was soft and beautiful, it was so mesmerizing that it was like it could transport you to an imaginary paradise for the short time the song lasted 

_I wouldn't leave you_

_I would hold you_

_When the last day comes_

Their hearts beat in synchrine to the rhythm of the song and their steps

_I wouldn't leave you_

_I would hold you_

_When the last day comes_

_What if you need me_

_Won't you hold me_

_On the last day_

_Our last day_

They finished the dance holding hands, but that peace did not last long, as their quiet silence was broken to pieces by the sound of a bell that gave both of them goose bumps. 

Rowan was so frightened by the sound that he squeezed his girlfriend's hands too tightly. 

"It's time" she said

The sound of the bell and a of lot of movement between the branches of the tree from probably panicked trolls filled the silence. 

"Trollstice" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I've done a parody of Ikea
> 
> First I wanted to clarify that the reason I put boyfriend and girlfriend, is because Rowan and Willow never had time to get married.  
> In this chapter there are a lot of important details, I hope you have noticed all.  
> Anyways, thank you very much, the comments are always appreciated and I'll see you in the next chapter! <3


	7. Knocking down the walls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT TO READ THE NOTES!  
> Hello! I'm still alive, sorry I took so long to bring this chapter, but I've had kind of a bad week, and I didn't have as much time to write as I'd like. 
> 
> NEEDS CLARIFICATION: Rowan and Willow are NOT my ocs, they belong to my friend @soulscamper, who let me use them and writte about them, she actually had the idea for this story, so thank you girl <3
> 
> The song that appears in this chapter is "All I want -Kodaline" 
> 
> This is my favorite chapter with no doubt, it's a bloody emotional roller coaster with a lot of important information about everyones pasts. So enjoy your childhood trauma!
> 
> [Remember that English is not my first language, if there's any misspelling notify me in the comments please]

[ROSE WILLOW AND ROWAN ILLUSTRATION](https://www.instagram.com/p/CLxZvk3lJWo/?igshid=1b06qfi64asxx)

[ROSEWILLOW AND ROWAN MORE HUMANIZED AU](https://www.instagram.com/p/CLvRAWIlMQL/?igshid=1k0b421hfibqd)

_________________________________

They had camped at night in the middle of the high grass, it wasn't too uncomfortable, at least not for Branch and Rowan who looked totally rested as if that leafy sleeping bag was nothing different from a comfortable bed. Although I could name some who did miss the bed that night. 

Sleep in a sleeping bag on the soft floor of a pod for a sleepover? totally great

Sleep on the cold hard ground in the middle of nowhere? not so great. The snack pack was not so used to such trips and was noticeable in the way they stretched their sore backs every ten minutes. 

There was less and less left to get to the magic willow tree, although walking so much came with the price of the younger ones were getting more tired, not even a song could recharge their energies, when the tiredness was so excessive even a pop troll needed a little bit of silence, it didn't used to last long though. 

Rowan went after the group, they were crossing very high grass paths and it was better to stay in their tail to make sure no troll was left behind. Seeing it all from there he realized how exhaustion had struck in the mood of younger trolls, they were very excited by that adventure, but sleeping on the ground and walking so many uncomfortable floors on bare feet was taking its toll. 

He wanted to find a way to enthusing them, but no popular song would come to mind, and the few pops he remembered were so old that the only one who could know them was Branch, who kept avoiding him, walking ahead engrowned in his own thoughts.

It was then that the teacup troll that was walking in front of the old defender caught his attention, hee appearance reminded him of someone he had already met, for a moment his mind took a trip back in time and then it clicked. 

"Smidge right?" He pointed her with his index finger raising an eyebrow thoughtfully. The little troll listening to her name, turned to him curiously nodding. 

"Back when we all lived in the tree, I was friends with some teacup trolls, by any chance, have you ever met a girl named Petite?" He said scratching the back of his neck, they were his son's friends and he wanted to try to bond with them as with him it seemed a little harder. 

"Wait, you mean my cousin Petite? Do you know her?" Smidge's face gave him a grimace of slight surprise, it's not every day she hears someone asking about a relative she admires that much. 

"No _way_! You are cousins?! That means you're related to Yea, Puny, Junior and Pinch too, right? Gosh It's been years since I remembered them" He rubbed his forehead and began to smile looking up at the sky as if in the clouds he saw reflected memories of happier days. 

"Oh my god you know them!" It was a very pleasant surprise for the short troll "Yea, Puny and Junior are still in the village but I never got to know cousin Pinch" She did not say it sadly, but yes with a less excited tone, she didn't know if she had changed her voice volume because of mentioning the loss of a relative or of a probable loved one of the old defender, yet she didn't took her eyes off Rowan as they walked. 

" **Oh** -" His face ceased to be so cheerful for a moment, distressing thoughts returned to his head, many of his friends had died even after he disappeared (or died for everyone until 2 days ago) and he still did not know who, and that's not the kind of news that someone likes to receive. 

But the young trolls who were now traveling with him were not guilty of his past mistakes, and they did not deserve to suffer for it, so the face of the light blue troll changed to a smile even if he didn't want to do it at the moment.

"Well, then it's your lucky day, because this old man knew each and every troll in that tree, and believe me, I have a lot of anecdotes about Pinch and your family" 

Smidge's face lit up when she heard that, as if they had just given her the best gift ever and just ripped the wrap paper off "Do you really have them?!" Oh boy there's nothing a troll likes more besides singing and dancing than a good story, it seemed that the vitality had returned to the worked body of the yellow troll and the traces of tiredness of the uncomfortable night had faded. The excitement returned to her, she remembered why she had gone on that journey, to visit one last time those who passed away. 

And apparently that excitement not only came back to her, as the other trolls who went with them and heard the conversation turned, without stopping walking. 

"Did you really knew Smidge's relatives?" Asked the queen, and before the other troll could answer, another question came out of another mouth. 

"Did you really know the whole tree?" This time the one who asked was Biggie. 

Rowan was glad to see the sudden interest in the village's past "Yes and Yes" He said pointing to Poppy and Biggie to answer both of their questions, "I remember Smidge's family being very good magicians, and when we were throwing parties in the tree, they always started it with some mind-blowing trick to start" He was gesticulating with his hands as he spoke giving it a lot of emotion "I remember once I volunteered to be cut in half for a trick" He smiled and suddenly had to contain his laughter "Willow almost killed me, I mean, because they almost **_literally_** cut me, they didn't have the trick very rehearsed you know?" 

The other trolls widened their eyes when they heard that but giggled at the funny anecdote, Branch's parents seemed to had a pretty funny dynamic. 

"And to answer your question big guy, yes, I knew the whole tree, I was a pretty sociable troll you could say" 

Before he kept talking, everyone looked at Branch with a confused look. 

He got it, he wasn't sociable at all " _Okay_ , it's obvious that not all relatives have to be alike" Clarified the survivalist among growls. 

He looked more like his mother, Rowan thought, but those words did not come out of his mouth and he decided to continue with the previous topic of conversation, "And now that I look at you big guy, I think maybe I knew some relatives of yours, it's not every day you meet a Giant troll" 

Biggie really wanted to ask about his relatives but another doubt urged him much more intrigue "It's not? Aren't there more giant trolls elsewhere?" He asked curiously as he stroked the head of his pet worm. 

"There are some in the rock tribe, but I didn't interact much with them, I spent a lot more time with the tribes of the subgenres and I can assure you that a giant and a teacup trolls are hard-to-find rarities, pop village is the one with the most varied population without a doubt" even thought that among the rock trolls there were some giants, theirs looked quite different as they had very muscular arms and fairly thin legs, and the teacups were practically non-existent in other tribes. 

"And how did you deal with the subgenres, even though you didn't say you were a pop troll, at the time they were pretty hostile tribes" The pop queen asked, now the subgenres were friends of hers, but they had no idea how they would have become friends if it hadn't been for the world tour. 

Even though Rowan was very absent minded at times, he knew how to manage in the worst situations, and as he remembered those times getting to know the world outside the bars of the tree, he gave then a knowing smile "Have you ever heard ' _you attract more flies with honey than with vinegar_ '?" The other trolls nodded with puzzled faces, what the hair was this old man talking about?, then he continued his monologue "I offered to teach them useful things in exchange for their hospitality and teaching me customs of their tribes" 

They asked him what he meant by useful things, how useful could pop knowledge be to the other genres?

"Well for example, on a part of my journey not long time ago, either fortunately or unlucky I came across a group of bounty hunters, I think they were called the Kpop group or the Kpop band I'm not really sure right now-" 

"the K pop gang?" Branch asked with a flat tone. 

"Yes! those girls!" He pointed at him with his index finger "At the beginning they weren't very friendly, but I'm a pop troll, there's nothing we're better at than making friends with people, so after I stopped them from stealing even my underwear,I made a deal with them and they took me to their tribe, and there I was able to stay for a few days in exchange for teaching them things, especially survival things I learned from Willow throughout my life" A memory came to his head and I giggled "I remember teaching them that if they really wanted to catch someone and without getting them to run away, they should use _the ribbon knot_ " said in a fairytale voice moving his hands as if they were sparking. 

"You mean the knot that's impossible to undo from the inside but super easy from the outside? " Branch asked in hope that he would not answer yes, he had no luck. 

"That one! How do you know?" His gaze was no more directed at Branch when he heard Poppy snoring. 

"They captured Branch with that knot" That anecdote had become a requering joke between the bounties and the pink troll. 

The rest also held back the urge to laugh at Branch's bitter face by remembering that event, which, even though it ended up well, he did not like to remember that just before that he had an argument with his queen. 

"I guess that happened on that world tour" assumed the old defender without removing in any moment that characteristic smile from his face. 

"It was not exactly a pleasure the way we met, way in which they proposed to split me in half" Branch had become close friends with both groups, but still holds a little grudge against them for the whole 'wanting to split and kidnapping him' thing.

"Well" His father shrugged " _Everything_ happens for a reason, _even_ that" And he was right, perhaps if Rowan had never taught the Bounties that knot, Branch would have managed to untie himself and escape before reasoning with them and reaching an agreement, then he would not have had the help of both groups and wouldn't have made it in time for Barb's concert to save Poppy and give her time to cover her ears with the gum drops. Geez, at the end everything that happened was connected. 

"Why do you keep saying that?" Branch asked with a curious gaze, he was not annoyed, he just wanted to know. His father who kept walking beside him and the rest of the young people arched an eyebrow without understanding what his son meant, Branch sighed "Everything happens for a reason, I think I've heard you say that like a hundred times" 

The rest of the group also seemed to notice when they heard it come out of Branch's mouth and began to look at the older troll curiously. 

"Uh-um- Your mother used to say it a lot" he scratched his cheek, nervous by the sudden attention "and she was right, everything that happens is because meant to be that way"

"Even the bad things?" Asked the glitter troll, starting amazed at the light blue troll as if he was full of wisdom. 

Rowan smiled at them " _Especially_ the bad things, something good can change a lot of things in us, but something bad can change _everything_ , and if something bad happens goes hand in hand with a good reason" Branch disagreed with what his father said, but dared not contradict him in front of his friends who seemed to be amazed by his dad's words. 

"Even if we did the wrong thing? like what pop did with the strings centuries ago?" Poppy still ached to remember what pop did, and sometimes, she could feel really bad about having lived ignoring it, even if it was out of her control to have known. 

" _Even_ with what pop did" He assured her

"I remember when they told me, I didn't expect it at all, and I also got felt pretty bad, but it was not something we could or should change" 

The queen did not have time to thank him for the life lesson because a huge doubt crossed her head like a chill "I'm sorry, you knew about what happened with the strings? like _the true version_ of the story?" 

Rowan chuckled "Of course I knew! only select trolls close to the royal family knew about the other tribes and what had happened, Willow and I were the seconds in command, so we had to know, and that meant keeping it a secret from the rest of the trolls" he explained. 

"Wait, really? you always knew?" Branch was very surprised, he barely had memories of his parents, but he would remember something that important. 

"Yeah, quite a few songs we sang were not pop" He looked at his son without understanding "You really don't remember?" 

Branch shook his head without believing what he just heard "everything sounded pretty pop to me" 

"I mean yeah, we kind of ' _popified_ ' them to fit with our tribe but, uh ' _Total eclipse of the heart_ ' it's not a pop song you know that, right?" It was the only song that came to mind at the time, and he remembered that Branch used to like it a lot when he was a kid. 

"What?!" Came out of everyone's mouth, everyone knew that song, maybe a little too old, but everyone knew it! how could it not be pop? 

"Yeah, we kind of sang it in the pop way, but yes its origin is rock" What Rowan didn't know was that just by mentioning that song he had caused a shiver down Branch's spine. 

Since he opened up and told how he had lost his colors when he was little, his new group of friends had decided not to mention that song. It wasn't a difficult job, because for them it was a little old, but they still agreed not to sing it or play it ever, at least not in front of the teal troll, they didn't wanted to cause him a breakdown though. 

Silence re-formed, the SnackPack knew that that particular song was a delicate subject for their friend, even though he acted as if nothing happened in his mind he had just formed a small black cloud that brought to light that memory that he'd been trying to bury in the shade. They barely noticed when he got ahead of them, with the excuse of checking the path they were taking. Poppy bit her lip and looked at the others with panic eyes, Rowan had screwed up without even knowing. 

And he was going to do it again probably. 

The light blue troll also got ahead of the rest, approaching his son. 

' _Why is it so weird? Suddenly he was fine and now he's going to "check the path"? This is the only stretch of the way where there is no cliff to fall down, what the hell does he have to check?! Or Maybe he's avoiding me? my god is so avoiding me, but why?! the conversation was going well right?! He wasn't so quiet when he was a kid, was he? Why is it so extremely difficult to get close to my son? He doesn't want to talk, camping at night he avoided eye contact, this was definitely much easier when he was three'_

Lost in his mental paranoia he became as distracted as he always does and ended up colliding with Branch's back. 

"Wo- Wo!" Almost both fall, but they managed to maintain balance" I'm sorry, I wasn't looking." He apologized giving his son a nervous smile.

"Don't worry" At least from the scare he struck him the teal troll stopped thinking about his anxieties. 

Seeing that Branch again broke eye contact to keep walking Rowan bit his lower lip distressed. Camping the night before, he didn't get a chance to talk to Branch and he had too many things to ask him, like **_too_** many. 

He had already noticed that his son was much more introverted than he remembered, so he had to make sure he didn't say the wrong words.

' _Okay, Rowan, you were always a cool dad remember? you are good at this, you and Branch always had a good bond, you're going to ask him something serious, so just take a deep breath'_ he did it _'And ask gently'_

"Branch?" his son looked at him "Hi uh...what's wrong with you?" **Gently as a natural disaster**. 

Rowan was very good with trolls, the _extroverted_ ones who are usually the majority, but, to this day the only introverted troll he had gotten along with had been his girlfriend and he really needed her in moments like this. 

"Oh my god I didn't mean to say it that way, I'm so sorry" He said, shaking his palms in front of Branch giving him a look of concern. 

He was going to keep talking but his son cut him off, seemed quite serene, the question did not pull him out of his mood at all "Don't worry, I get it, you're used to more open trolls, I'm just not a talking one" He clarified, not giving it much importance, when he was gray that kind of question was very frequent so he was no longer surprised to hear it. 

And not another word came out of the mouth of the young troll, Rowan didn't want the conversation to end like that, he really needed to talk to him, so he gave him a determined gaze and said "No, I don't mean that, you're avoiding me and I don't understand why" his voice was trying to be more serious but he was still too kind. 

"I'm not avoiding y-" 

"What happened after Willow and I left? and I mean the trollstice" By left he meant to "die" even if he didn't really die, this time he was being serious "What happened to them?" his voice was trying to be rough but his gaze was desperate. 

Branch didn't really want to have to answer that, his mind interpreted it as a situation of danger, he didn't want to open up, he didn't want to expose himself sentimentally, so his head only responded in one way: run. 

"I- I have to go check the path way ahead!" He began to speed up the pace. 

" **Branch** "

He stopped immediately, his father never got angry, but when he said his name with that firmness, he knew that for his sake he was better off stopping. 

Rowan approached him again and looked him in the eye even if Branch avoided sharing contact. 

"What happened?" He really wanted to know, he was in his right to know.

Branch, who now gave him a look of fear swallowed, he had to tell Rowan, the reason he had panicked when he recognized his father's name when he appeared in the village, the reason he avoided talking to his dad, Branch didn't wanted to tell him, he didn't wanted to explain that he was or felt responsible for what happened.

He opened his mouth about to confess, but a memory he had buried at the bottom of of his mind came to the surface, and that fear of telling him was overshadowed by the rage he felt about that particular memory: ' _so this afternoon when your mother and I go back we'll explain everything to you, promise okay?'_

They never did.

Why did he have to explain himself? To someone who was able to make such an important promise without worrying that maybe they wouldn't be able to keep it. He waited that day, standing in the entrance of his grandmother's pod, waiting for them to arrive all night awake. 

They never did. 

Branch suddenly frowned upon with a grimace of direct anger towards his father, that the light blue troll never expected to receive from his trolling. 

"Why do you want me to tell you what happened if you already **know** the answer, the same thing that always happened in that stupid tree" He paused "And the rest don't know anything about the egg, so don't even think about bringing it up"

He broke eye contact by turning towards the path, and ignoring his father's stunned face as he advanced among growls

 _'And don't think I believe that nonsense of the magic tree, because I don't'_ He didn't say it, he just thought it, but he definitely had a lot of feelings kept towards his dad, whether it was because of the promise he never kept or talking disrespectfully about the woman who raised him. 

Rowan was still speechless, definitely, his trolling had changed much more than he thought, Where did that expression come from? had seen it on some rock troll, but that look of grudge in a pop one? this one was definitely broken at least. 

The rest of the group who had stayed further back to make room for them to speak alone, approached the front again upon seeing that his conversation had ended with both separating. 

Satin, Chenille and Guy Diamond went as far as Branch was and started a conversation with him, he no longer seemed upset, as if that little argument with his father hadn't happened, he even laughed at Guy's jokes probably about what they would do when they got to ' _The Willow of the past'_ , Branch didn't think it was true, but he didn't want to ruin his friends' excitement.

Rowan stood where he had been stunned, watching the rest of the group move down the path, he did not know what had hurt him more, Branch's answer or the way he did it, that look of grudge, angry, but his lips were tight, as if he was holding back… _pain_? What the hell happened to his son and why did he feel like something had just broken inside his chest? 

Rosiepuff was gone, he assumed that she would not be in the village anymore, but for anything but a Bergen, she was young to be a grandmother, but knowing her she was more likely to die by her age before letting herself be haunted by those beasts they hated that much. 

The egg was also gone, when did that happen? How long did they take to escape through the tunnels? What has happened to his trolling? Who took care of him? Was he left alone? 

His mind could not be organized, too many doubts and assumptions sprouted in his head, was he responsible for all this? 

He began to notice a black knot of guilt forming inside his chest, but his storm of worries was suddenly subsided by a sweet voice. 

"Mr. Rowan?" The pop queen was looking at him tilting her head to one side "Is everything okay?" 

"Wh- What?" He was pulled out of his mind from a snap, realized that the rest of the group had come a long way and that he had stood quite behind. 

He looked down and re-shared eye contact with those magenta eyes "Uh- yeah everything's okay kiddo" he realized "sorry, not a kid, I know" 

She smiled "Don't worry, I guess it's normal" the last time Rowan saw her she was an egg, it's understandable that he calls her kid. She began to walk again instructing him to follow her, they couldn't stay so far behind or they could get lost. 

"I really meant that question, you seemed pretty distressed back there" She looked at him frowning compassionately "Everything all right with Branch? I know he can be a little difficult sometimes" 

"No kidding" Either his son was too difficult or he was being too stupid, and okay, he was not the smartest troll in the tree, but he was not THAT stupid. 

"At first everything was going normal, but yesterday when we were talking his mood suddenly changed, then he avoided any kind of contact between us tonight in the camping, and now I tried to talk to him and when it seemed to go well but then Snap! his mood changed drastically, like, too drastically"

The queen did not seem surprised at what the light blue troll told her, she had spent enough time with his unofficial partner to know that he did not react well in that kind of situations,but those seemed like too exaggerated reactions, even to the former hermit, " _Okay_ , I'm more than anyone aware of Branch's bad temper, but mood swings so drastic are not that usual" she rubbed her chin thinking, "He takes time to catch confidence with someone, but he should have had enough with you, I really don't get it, though he's a pretty complicated troll so I guess no one never gets to fully understand him" she shrugged, not wanting to give much importance to the subject so as not to worry any more the older troll. 

Rowan began to scratch his forehead dubious "I've realized he's got a pretty delicate temper, and maybe it's that I'm not good at handling so irascible trolls but… now that I'm talking to you pinky" he tapped the tips of his two index fingers nervously "Branch doesn't hate me, does he?" His gaze had a sad concern hidden in his expression marks on the sides of his eyes. 

Poppy looked at him with wide eyes and then she even had to hold back her laughter "Branch? hate you?" She could barely hold her hide pitched laughter inside her chest, that sounded like a joke "Oh my god, I'm sorry, but you totally got the wrong idea of him" She removed a tear coming out of the corner of her eye from the previous giggles, "Sorry for laughing but, I've _never_ seen a troll talking about their family the way Branch does" she paused "It was always very hard to get him to mention things about his past or about you, but when he did, you could tell how much he loved you just by the way he described you three, you were like heroes to him and he didn't even know about 'the defenders' thing" 

Rowan's expression contracted for a moment, thinking of all those times when his son must have remembered them and how he could have returned to him, but also couldn't because he didn't know they were alive. 

But what hurt him the most was that Poppy said it was hard to get Branch to talk about his family, Rowan knew it was not only because his son liked his privacy, it was because he didn't have anything to tell. 

Because they weren't there. 

They were so busy being the two seconds in command, they barely realized the many days their trolling had to stay with his grandmother, they hoped to have more time to spend it as a family as soon as they escaped the tree, but that day never came, and it all ended with plans for a future that never happened and a broken child. 

He gazed resentful to the path until Poppy snapped him out of his thoughts again. 

"So don't worry, Branch is capable of a lot of things, but _hate_ is not one of them" Her voice was kind as always, if her mother could see her, they were the same, Poppy had inherited her sweet smile. 

Rowan smiled weakly at the queen "I'm glad to hear that" he started scratching the back of his neck "I don't know if I could overcome my own son hating me" 

"Don't even think about it, it's not the troll way to just not like or hate someone, you know" The pink troll joked, a troll hating another troll? that really sounded crazy. 

The comment made by the queen sounded too ironic for the old defender "Oh, you should have met Willow's mom then" The queen looked at him surprised "No, she didn't hate me, hair we are not beasts!" Hating someone was a big deal in Pop village, it was like saying you spent your free time taking lollipops from kids. "But I was not her favorite troll either, let's say it that way" 

Poppy recalled the conversation she had had with Branch a day ago, his partner couldn't trust Rowan because he didn't have a good relationship with his mother-in-law, maybe if she gets to the bottom of that she may manage to help both of them, maybe it was just a misunderstanding, at least that's what she was hoping. 

"How does it come that you two were on bad terms?" Her eyebrow arched, she tried to disguise how interested she really was in the subject in a useless way "I can't imagine Miss Rossiepuff getting along badly with someone, I mean from what I've heard about her" 

The light blue troll looked at her, puzzled for a second and then realized what the queen was asking "Oh nonono, she was super nice and she had a great heart, I could not have chosen a more suitable troll whom I would entrust my children than her" He started scratching his goatee nervously "but she was very protective with Willow, she lost her husband, Willow's dad, so it was normal that she wanted her to be safe" he sighed "and I guess she thought that I wasn't enough for her daughter" 

So the conflict was deeper than a simple misunderstanding "Ow… I didn't I- I knew she was a very protective troll for the little things Branch told me and from what my father told about her, but I didn't know that it was because she had lost her husband" The past in the troll tree sounded horrible, for a moment she was relieved that she was a baby at that time. 

"Yup, and when I started dating Willow I guess she saw me as a threat, and she expressed her feelings about me pretty well, that woman could really had a bad attitude sometimes" Even though he was telling something not so good he said it with a smile, in his head he really remembered very gracefully when she used to get angry at them when they were younger and hitted Peppy with a twig, he was really not gonna let the former king live that thing down. 

Poppy now upon hearing what the light blue troll said understood both sides of the story, RosiePuff had lived a long time in the tree and wanted to protect her daughter, her bad relationship with Rowan had reason to be, they put up with each other but they weren't best friends. The pop queen felt better knowing more part of the story but partly impotence as it was something she definitely couldn't change or help, but she noticed a few words from the old defender which got her attention ' _that woman could really had a bad attitude sometimes_ ', she frowned for a moment bewildered, to then look at the adult by her side. 

"You didn't say that to him right?" she smirked at him raising an eyebrow "the attitude thing" 

"You mean about her bad mood? she was a very good person but her bad temper was very characteristic of her" he said matter of factly "and yeah, we were talking about his mom and I mentioned that about RosiePuff why?" he was really confused as he didn't really consider it a bad thing. 

The pink troll pressed her lips making a humm sound " _how_ can I explain this without saying something private I'm not allowed to tell? " It had been Branch's decision not to tell his father anything about his past yet, and she was going to respect it just like the rest of their friends. 

"I know that you knew his memaw for a long time, and that for you she was your mother-in-law and well all that about the bad tension between you but…" she sighed "RosiePuff was very important for Branch and she still is, and everything about her is a very delicate subject" she explained "If you say something bad about her _even_ if it's a joke, not only are you going to get him not to trust you, but he's going to get further and further away every day until you are like strangers" She knew from experience what it was like to see that gray troll in the village walking away every time she tried to get close, locking himself up every time she tried to open his barriers, she didn't want the same thing to happen to his father because of a stupid mistake.

Rowan scratched his goatee thinking about what the pop queen had said, he lost his parents when he was an egg and was raised by friends of his family, but he would have been very angry if someone said anything bad about his biological parents, he knew that pain, he had been in Branch's shoes. "Did he tell you that? That it bothered him how I talked about Willow's mom?" he gave her a worried gaze. 

"Not exactly, I kind of figured it myself" she scratched her bangs "he **never** talks about anything" _Okay_ that sounded with a little resentment. 

Rowan realized the tone with which Poppy said that, was not angry or mad or anything like that, it was rather decayed, and her grimace seemed disappointed but in what? Branch or herself?, his son had told him that he and the queen had not yet spoken about their relationship, neither of them dared to talk it out and they were both acting wrong. The light blue troll felt like he had to help them but how was he going to do it if he still couldn't manage to talk to his son without him trying to kill him with a gaze. 

They couldn't get to the Willow of the past with that tension, he had to fix things with Branch for real, but how could he do that?

Hair Willow, he really needs you right now. 

\----------------------------------

They had come a long way and were exhausted, set up camp so they could spend the night, not without first having dinner sitting around a campfire while hearing exciting stories about the troll tree from the old defender. 

"And there we were, the adrenaline was running through our veins, we had lost two of the team, I was on the mid-rise branches of the tree, I had just saved a trolling and was taking him back to his pod, though by saving him they caught another adult troll" Everyone looked as if they were being told a horror story, Biggie grabbed Mr. Dinkles trembling "and I'm never going to forget that moment, when Queen Juniper was watching what was happening in the trollstice from the balcony and yelled at me _'ON YOUR LEFT_!' " The younger trolls gasped very involved in the story, even Branch couldn't help but get tense by listening to it, Poppy was holding on to his arm and every time the story got complicated she tightened her grip more almost cutting off his blood circulation. 

"So I turned quickly and saw a hand of a bergen coming towards us, I don't remember reacting so quickly in my life, so I pushed the trolling's family into the tree top pushing me with them at the same time" They all let air out of their lungs in relief "If it hadn't been for Juniper, I wouldn't be here to tell it"

Poppy smiled very excitedly at hearing such good things about her mother, perhaps she never got to know her in person now she felt her a little closer. 

"Wow dudes, your parents were so cool" DjSuki said as she toasted some marshmallows on the campfire. 

Rowan smiled and arched his eyebrow "Look who's talking" 

Dj couldn't help but give him a doubtful grimace and pointed to herself with her index finger. 

Rowan looked at Suki and smiled sideways squinting his eyes "what? I would recognize those headphones anywhere, let me guess you have two aunts named PJ and TJ" he pointed at Suki. 

"Yeah! how do you-? Do you know them?!" Dj asked in an excited voice. 

"Of course I know them! but I knew your mom better, did you know that me and her used to date back when we were teenagers?" he smirked

"Really?!" Dj was really excited to hear him talk about her family, because of the events of the troll tree that occasion did not happen much, as there were hardly any people to talk about them. 

"Yeah, and then I introduced her to your father, they were totally made for each other" he chuckled "and in exchange for introducing her to your dad she did me a favor, and she brought me closer to Willow as she got along with her much more than I did back then" 

"Were they best friends too? like with my mom?" Poppy asked after learning that Willow and Juniper were like sisters. 

"Yeah but **not** in the same way as with your mum, Willow and Melody were girlfriends in their teen years, so after our relationship ended and introducing her to your dad, she told me that, after training, Willow had a few hours free, she was a pretty busy troll, and that I should use them to ask her out on a date" he smirked "And thanks to that information I was able to ask Willow out, we'd been flirting for a while, but if it hadn't been for Melody I would never have dared to do it" 

Dj smiled with great joy at hearing that anecdote that nor even her mother had told her. 

"Your father always used to make a lot of fun of me every time I tried to talk to her, I was a mess" Rowan added

"You were also friends with my dad?!" She asked with a high pitched voice, Branch was surprised to see DJ's reactions, Seeing her friend's face of excitement, in was there when he realized why they had come on the trip, Suki never had a chance to meet her father, he was caught when her older sister was a little girl and she was just an egg, hearing stories about her parents together were not just anecdotes, to her they were treasures. Branch couldn't help but smile when he saw her so excited. 

"Of course! Bj and I were very close since we were trollings, and we always ended up getting into trouble, I remember one night after a trollstice, we had just lost a friend in the defenders, Bj had never been so angry, I remember him saying _'If we are going to get eaten, then they are not going to get any sleep_!' and throw a super loud party in the middle of the night in the troll tree" 

He had to held back his laughter "I wouldn't have been surprised if they had done another trollstice the next day, no one in all bergen town slept, but neither in the troll tree, Peppy's mother was so angry that we thought she was going to be the one who eat us"

"That sounds totally like Dj's family" Poppy claimed and DJ nodded smiling. 

"I can't wait to get to the 'Willow of the past' maybe I'll get to talk to him and tell him that I'm a dj too" said pounding his feet on the floor with emotion and with Poppy squealing cheerfully beside her. 

That's what broke Branch, that scene, he didn't believe in the tree, it wasn't true, there's no such thing as a magic tree that lets you talk to the ones you lost, Rowan was giving false hope about something you can't play with. This wasn't right at all, his grimace became more serious though he said nothing as he did not know what to say. 

And not knowing what to say became even more complicated when Smidge turned to look at him "Aren't you nervous about the willow tree? What do you think will happen when we get there or what do you think you'll say?" Of course the deep-voiced girl thought that Branch would want to talk to her grandmother or her mom, no one imagined that he wasn't believing it, or at least that's what he thought. 

" I- I don't know I-" what the hair he was supposed to say, he didn't want to lie to them. 

"Oh come on! , How come you don't know? we've been talking about it all the trip" said the pink twin. 

Branch didn't know what to tell them, and as he stuttered excuses, other's suspicions began to be noticed on their faces. 

"Because he doesn't believe it" Everyone turned to where the deep voice came from, it came from Rowan, who was staring at him with his arms crossed "Right?" 

Branch was going to lie, saying that he did, that he believed in the legend of the tree, but he could not prevent his grimace from suddenly serious to give him away.

He sighed "no, I don't" 

Everyone gasped but neither of the two flinched. 

Rowan kept his arms crossed staring at him with a weak smile "Okay, **you-up-now** " he said by getting up and pointing to Branch. 

"What?" said the teal troll moving his palms to his sides.

"I said **now** " Rowan hooked Branch's hair with his hair and pulled him away from where they were sitting. 

Branch let out groans by the pulls of hair, while the rest looked at the scene of them going away with wide eyes, the group looked at Poppy worried, and she shrugged without knowing what the hair was going to happen. 

Rowan pushed them away long enough not to be seen or heard, and he let go Branch's hair abruptly causing his son to almost fall in front of him. Branch kept his balance, and looked at him very annoyed. 

"You just took me by the hair like I was a kid, just because I said I didn't believe in your magic tree?!" Pulling another troll's hair is a big deal, and even though it's normal for parents to use it to pull their children, Branch was no longer a child.

"No, I brought you here by the hair because we _clearly_ have things to discuss and you're not going to get away without doing it, so come on, spit it out" 

"What? Rowan we don't have to talk about anything" he crossed his arms

"Yes we do, you clearly have a problem with me and I want to know _why_ " His dad said with a claiming voice "You avoid talking to me, you start behaving rude all of a sudden, there's a reason for that and I wanna know why" said pointing at Branch "and don't tell me you don't have any problem with me, because I lived for a few months with the rock emo subgenre and **everyone** there had some problem with their dads, so I know what I'm talking about! " 

"Rowan, I don't have a problem with you, you're the one who's shown up here after twenty-one years!, maybe _you_ have a problem" 

"Do I have a problem? After twenty-one years I discovered that not only my village, _my son_ is alive, and when I try to spend more time with him, he only has mood swings out of nowhere and avoids even eye contact! and I'm the one who has a problem?!" raised his voice as he seemed to get angrier.

Branch didn't know what to say until a rage he had long ago not felt began to surface back into his chest "Okay, you are right, I have a problem, _you are_ , you are my problem, because for the first time in my damn life things were going well, but now out of nowhere appears a stranger that I barely remember bringing things from my past, which I hate, here with his stupid-magic-tree" He was going to keep talking but Rowan interrupted him.

" **Well**?! you say now things were going well?! hiding your whole past from your friends, from the girl that you love?! THAT IS GOING WELL FOR YOU?" 

"YES it is! Of course it is! i'm sorry if I'd rather make it look like that shit from the past never happened and try to be damn happy for once!" He yelled at him with a frown of rage.

Rowan couldn't believe what he was hearing " _Oh_! then sorry to show up and bring back those past problems that you apparently **HAVE BEEN IGNORING FOR YEARS!** " He shouted him " **ACTING LIKE SOMETHING HASN'T HAPPENED ISN'T GOING TO STOP IT FROM HURTING!** " He saw Branch's grimace contract, that phrase got through to him "Son, I don't know what the hell happened to you, but this isn't happiness, it's hiding sadness, why is it so hard for you to tell me what's wrong?" His voice seemed calmer even though his pulsations remained accelerated. 

Branch only looked at the ground with his ears down and his hands in fists "Because I **needed** my father twenty-one years ago to tell me this, **not** **now** " no one was there for him, his past was so lonely that he preferred to do as it had never happened, his friends only knew a small part and yet he didn't let them mention it, he preferred to ignore it than to face it. 

Even though there was a considerable distance between them Rowan could see how the other troll was clenching his fists, he knew that feeling, and he knew he wasn't going to get his son to open up. 

He asked what Willow would do, he couldn't help thinking how much he needed her right now, he had done nothing but wonder that same thing since he'd lost her. 

Now he had his son in front of him, with a lot of invisible walls between them which he did not know how to tear down, he couldn't keep wondering what her girlfriend would have done, she wasn't here, he couldn't depend on her, she trusted him, and now he had to trust himself, he knew what to do. 

"Hit me" he said staring at Branch 

"What?" The teal troll thought he hadn't heard well

"I said hit me" he insisted "I know you feel helpless, and angry, because I've been there, so hit me" 

"What? We are trolls! I'm not going to hit you! " he said matter of factly, hate something in troll society was a big deal but hit another? you could cause someone to have a heart attack. 

"Oh don't give me the ' _we're trolls_ ' lecture, I heard you curse 5 minutes ago!"

Branch didn't react. 

' _Okay Rowan if he's not willing to let out his anger, you'll have to provoke it'_ thought the old defender clenching his fists and swallowing _._

"You want to hit me, and you are trying not to do it, you are trying to act like you're just as _sweet_ and _soft_ as the rest of the trolls and you're not!" pointed with his index finger. 

"Shut up" 

"No, I'm not going to shut up, you're afraid to open up because you don't want to be sensitive, you tell me trolls don't hit each other but you're the first one who doesn't behave like one" that was hurting Branch. 

"Shut up" he didn't dared to look at him in the eye, he was only with his arms crossed looking at the ground. 

"And you want to make it look like you don't have contained rage towards me when you **do** have it, because I could have been there when you were a kid and I wasn't, and that angers you because you felt abandoned, and you don't like me being here because I remind you of that feeling again" Rowan not only spoke for to his son, he was speaking from experience, because he also felt that way. 

" **Shut up**!" His voice trembled and sounded broken, he tried to cover his ears. 

"And you don't want to face your problems, because you're afraid of getting hurt again so you keep trying to contain everything inside while you can't!" 

Branch was just covering his ears, trying to act like he couldn't hear what he was saying even if those truths were burning him inside. 

"And you know _why_ we came all together on this trip?" Rowan was aware of what he was going to say "Because your girlfriend caught me running away at night" 

That was the trigger, he was going to leave, he was going to leave him again. 

Branch took his hands off his ears and looked at him with a face of rage that he had not had since his gray days. Rowan barely had time to blink when a punch hit his face with great force. 

The impact was so strong that he skidded back, and grabbed his cheek where he'd hit him. 

" **OUCH**!" he looked at the younger troll astonished "DID YOU JUST _ACTUALLY_ HIT ME?!" 

"You told me to do it!" 

"I _THOUGHT_ YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE A BREAKDOWN AND OPEN UP, NOT THAT YOU WERE GOING TO TAKE MY JAW OUT!" He rubbed his chin in pain. 

"I'm not going to open **anything** up to you" said still with his fist-shaped hands defensively. 

Rowan was surely not aware of what he was about to say "What? Are you afraid to realize that your life is miserable and turn gray?" oh my god he was **so** dead. 

Branch's ears turned backwards like a wild animal. What his dad had just said had just awakened pure fury, another fist was towards his father's face accompanied by a cry of anger, what was not expected is that Rowan without looking stopped his fist with his palm. 

"You're not the only one here who knows how to fight!" Without thinking twice he grabbed Branch's fist tightly and caught him in a lock pulling him to the ground strongly and his son's face hitting the dirt abruptly. 

He let out a cry of pain that the rest heard from the camp. 

"Was that Branch!?" Asked the pink troll immediately raising from her seat, going to look where the scream came from, followed by the rest of her friends. 

Branch and Rowan had gotten into a physical fight. 

"YOU TRY TO COVER WITH RAGE WHAT IS ACTUALLY PAIN" He said by stopping some punches and returning them, though many hit his face as he already had a black eye. 

"SHUT YOUR STUPID MOUTH WITH THAT NONSENSE" He was full of anger, all he felt was that something burned inside him and he wanted to let it out. 

"DOES _THIS_ SEEM NONSENSE TO YOU? How strong do you think you have to be that you'd rather get into a fight than accept that you're not okay?! We didn't raise you to be like this!" He punched him again, this one harder pushing Branch away from him. 

" **YOU DIDN'T RAISED ME!** " He went straight to him and the fight intensified, Branch's lip was bleeding but he was too angry to care about it. 

"OH NO, WE COULDN'T BUT IT'S CLEAR WHO DID IT, SEEING THIS BRAT ATTITUDE! " He didn't actually think so, he knew RosiePuff had raised him well, but Rowan wasn't thinking clearly. 

"IT WASN'T HER FAULT!" His voice sounded broken and he hit harder and harder again. 

"THEN WHY IS IT HUH!? WAS IT BECAUSE OF YOUR GRANDMA, WAS IT BECAUSE OF YOUR MOTHER OR IS IT BECAUSE OF **ME**?" He caught Branch in a lock again pulling him to the ground with force " **Willow was my Poppy!** , when I lost her I thought I'd lost everything, and I'm really trying not to lose you but you're making it impossible for me" His voice trembled beside his agitated breathing cause of the fight "And I don't know how to make you tell me what's wrong with you" 

" **Because I turned gray for twenty years** " 

His trembling voice that almost sounded like a whisper that resurped in the silence, he was still on the ground leaning on his hands and knees looking down. 

Rowan gazed at him bewildered, he really hoped he hadn't heard him well. 

**"I turned gray for twenty years, and I've been broken ever since** " From where Rowan was he could not see Branch's face, but he could see tears fall on the dirt. 

Branch had his eyes fixed on the ground and the last thing he heard were Rowan's footsteps going away. 

That's when the rest of the group came to see what was happening. 

\-----------------------

Branch hissed with pain when a gauze touched the wound next to his eyebrow. 

"Don't move!" Said the pink troll who was trying to heal the damaged eyebrow. 

She and Branch were alone sitting on a cut log that was on the ground. He looked at her in the eye as she was still concentrating trying to heal his wounds, his face was shattered. He knew that out of every way he could have let her down, this was the worst, physical violence what was he thinking? She asked him to try to bond with his dad and he got into a fight. 

His ears bent down as he thought how disappointed his queen must be. 

"Poppy I-" 

" _Ssssh_! don't move your lips, or the cut will open up again" she didn't look him in the eye, she kept looking at the wound she was trying to treat on his forehead 

"But I'm-" the lip cut opened and he hissed "I'm sorry" She looked at him "You told me to try to get closer to my dad and I did the opposite" his ears could not be more bent in resentment. 

"A fight Branch, a **psychical** fight, when I said to get closer him I didn't mean the literal way" Her voice was serious "when we arrived and found you like this, Biggie almost had a heart attack" trolls were not used to violence, and did not react well to blood or bruises. 

Branch knew it, and felt regretful of his actions, not only for the pain in his black eye and the rest of his face, but for seeing the way the girl he loved was looking at him. He was better than this.

He dared not look her in the eyes, then the pink troll turned her head as she heard a few steps approaching them. Branch had not looked up but felt the girl troll stand up from the log and go. His grimace went down sad, not wanting to open his eyes to see that his queen was gone. He simply turned on his seat and slid down sitting with his back against the log. 

He rested his chin on his palms looking at the ground, how the hair was he going to fix this? Then he noticed that someone was sitting next to him. 

"Hey… " Rowan said, resting his back against the log as well. That's why Poppy left, so they could have a moment alone. 

Branch turned his head to the opposite side so as not to make eye contact with his father. 

The light blue troll signed, he kind of deserved that, he went a little too far with words lately, but he didn't know what had happened to his son. 

"You're not going to talk to me, are you?" didn't get an answer, his son was hurted and now he was too, if only he had known he would had tried to control himself harder. 

Branch kept frowning with his sore face until something broke the silence. 

" _All I want is nothing more_

 _To hear you knocking at my door_ " 

That deep voice he knew well began to sing

_" Cause if I could see your face once more_

_I could die a happy man I'm sure"_

Rowan stopped singing, as not seeing any kind of respond. 

Branch still didn't move with his back turned on his dad who was singing looking at a fixed point. The silence grew denser, and the older troll was about to give up but what Rowan didn't expect was for his son's voice to join. 

" _You didn't said your last goodbye"_

Rowan looked at his trolling that was still with his back towards him. 

" _And I died a little bit inside_

_I lay in tears in bed all night_

_Alone without you by my side_ "

Rowan smiled with a sad gaze at Branch as he heard him sing, then Branch moved on his seat leaning his back against the log, they both started on duo, they didn't had to look at each other, they didn't interact, they just sang from the heart. 

" _But If you loved me_

_Why'd you leave me?_

_Take my body_

_Take my body_

_All I want is_

_And all I need is_

_To find somebody_

_I'll find somebody... like you oh"_

Rowan let Branch sing that verse alone, he liked to hear his voice. 

" _See, you brought out the best of me_

 _A part of me I'd never seen"_

Then he let Rowan sing alone

" _You took my soul and wiped it clean_

_Our love was made for movie screens"_

They sang together again in harmony, this time real harmony, not like the previous time they sang together, this time they expressed the same thing, they talked about the same thing, they felt the same thing. 

_"But if you loved me_

_Why did you leave me?_

_Take my body_

_Take my body_

_"All I want is_

_And all I need is_

_To find somebody_

_I'll find somebody_

_Like you, oh"_

They finished the song and said nothing, they sat quietly in a short silence which was interrupted by a sob, that made Rowan react to look at his son. 

"Branch-" It broke the dad's heart when he saw his son like that "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you that, I got carried away with the fight and-" let's be honest, he almost broke his face.

"It's not that" he said whimpering "I'm just **tired** , I just wanted a normal life! I just wanted to be happy for the first time, and when I think I've finally made it, I've needed my father to come back to realize it's not true!" he buried his face in the palms of his hands "And I've preferred to ignore everything that hurts because I'm afraid to face it, because I feel like if they break me one more time I'm never going to be able to repair myself again" 

Rowan wanted to do something but didn't know what, all the walls that separated them collapsed in one fell swoop, showing that the angry mask his son was wearing was what he really hid was gray disguised as color. 

"I'm ashamed of have been gray, I'm ashamed of have been who I was and I prefer to act like it never happened and that I'm a different person even if it's a lie because **I hate the truth!** " He broke down in front of his dad, for the first time he opened up the doors that kept his pain inside, but there was so much content for so long that they exploded. 

His father did not hesitate for a second and pulled him into a hug. Branch was surprised, but for the first time he was not uncomfortable with that stranger hugging him, because he no longer felt like a stranger, he returned the much-needed hug, he returned, this time, the hug he had been waiting for since he lost his parents when he was a kid. The teal troll buried his sore face in Rowan's shoulder sobbing. 

"I just miss them so much" his voice sounded like a broken whisper. 

Rowan contracted his grimace, trying to keep it together "Me too" he tightened the hug and after a few seconds they separated. 

Branch broke eye contact again, removing the tears that were stinging his wounds "I'm sorry… about your face" 

Rowan chuckled "I'm sorry too" his grimace relaxed and squeezed his lips looking down at Branch by corner of his eye, he had to think his words well "After… that bergen threw me against that tree… when I regained consciousness" he sighed "I was in the middle of a forest alone, I didn't know how to go back to the tree or where to go, and I had just lost your mother, and I" he paused and stared at the ground "I turned gray" 

Branch's eyes widened when he heard that "and how did you get your colors back?" his voice sounded like a whisper because his fhroat was sore from screaming. 

Rowan smirked "I remembered your mom, and asked myself ' _what would she do?'_ and I was sure she would slap me and tell me that I couldn't stay there, that I had to keep moving forward, to stop lamenting and to move on" Willow wasn't very delicate, that was clear "so that's what I did, after a week of crying, your mother's memory helped me to get up, since then til today" He wished Branch had had that support, but with him it was different, he was just a child when it happened "I remember that week as the worst seven days of my life, I never felt so hopeless and depressed, and it was only seven stupid days, I can't even imagine the hell you had to go through for twenty years" 

Branch frowned without knowing what to answer, he scratched the back of his neck "I'm sorry, about everything I said back in the fight, I really didn't mean it" 

Rowan surprised chuckled "I know you didn't mean it you idiot, you thought I believed it? we were angry, we weren't thinking clearly what we were saying" 

"So you don't hate me for almost breaking your face?" his ears moved sideways. 

" _What_? Branch I'm your dad, even if you meant it, I couldn't hate you, you're the most important thing in my life" 

That put a sincere smile on his son's face, hearing that was like lighting a warm feeling in the younger troll's heart. The warmth of a family brought back only by one of the members of it. 

"I'm sorry about Mom, I barely have any memory but I remember you guys loved each other so much, I don't know what I'd do without Poppy" 

His dad smirked sadly "I danced my last waltz with her, and since then I try to dance our song in a ball where I don't have a partner" So he inherited the poetic side from Rowan, good to know. Remembering his girlfriend he chuckled "They're probably laughing at us" 

Branch snickered "Yeah, we look awful" 

"And I have to thank you for that" 

"Hey! you told me to hit you" He elbowed his father as they laughed. 

Their laughter calmed down and Rowan gave Branch a compassionate look "I'm sorry about RosiePuff, she was like your second mom, or as much as it hurts to admit it, your first" he saw his son's ears bend down with his expression "Was it because of her? The reason you turned gray" 

The teal troll nodded with a frown "It's a little more complicated than that I-" took a deep breath "it was my fault that she died, she saved my life sacrificing herself, the chef took her when I was five" his grimace became sad as he remembered it. 

"Branch that wasn't your fault, you were a kid" Hearing the understanding in his father's voice reassured the young troll because he thought his dad was going to be upset when he found out it was his son's fault, but apparently he wasn't. 

"Rosiepuff, raised you when we weren't there, she was a very good person, don't let my stupid adult comments give you the wrong idea about her"

"But I don't get it, did you get along as badly as it looks?" For the time he lived with his grandma and the time he had spent with his father, it was implied that they did not get along especially well. 

Rowan sighed when he heard that question he knew the answer, even if it hurted as if he were stabbed for admitting it, he gazed at Branch with a flat expression. 

"Your grams hated me because her daughter was perfect, and I was a disaster and her mom knew it and I knew it, and I'm still a mess, but the difference is that Willow made me want to be something more than that disaster, that's why I want to make it up for everytime she had to be the balanced one for the two of us" he threw a pebble against the trunk of a tree that was a little far from them, with a self-deception feeling that was showing in his face he leaned his back against the log again "I was **never** enough for her" 

Branch bit his lip wanting to say something to his father "Of course you were enough for her, you were kind of made for each other, what united you the most is that you were very different" He knew from his own experience that that was true "and.." he paused "I know Grandma didn't hate you, she didn't love you that for sure, but she didn't hate you. The reason I didn't want to get close to you when you arrived was because, when I was little, every time I asked about you guys she never mentioned you, she barely spoke about mom, but when I asked about you she evaded the question or changed the subject" Branch wanted to know why, there had to be more than just a bad relationship between son-in-law and mother-in-law, no matter how bad you get along with someone, avoiding talking about him after he "died" is a big deal.

Rowan sighed "I guess she saw what happened in that trollstice, that would be a valid reason for her to refuse to mention me" 

Branch raised an eyebrow "What? what do you mean?" 

"It was my fault RoseWillow died that day"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "My face still hurts" 
> 
> "YOU TOLD ME- TO HIT YOU" 
> 
> "METAPHORICALLY BRANCH, I WANTED YOU TO HIT ME WITH YOUR FEELINGS"
> 
> "...  
> DO YOU EVER THINK BEFORE YOU TALK?" 
> 
> "OMG SHUT UP YOU TWO" 
> 
> "Sorry mom"  
> "Sorry Willow" 
> 
> me: yeah, next chapter is going to be complicated


End file.
